21st Century Justice Project - Interim Report

We welcome the Law Society’s commitment to working with the Ombudsman sector and other stakeholders, to promote ombudsman schemes as a key part of the civil justice system. We welcome the recommendations put forward by the Law Society to implement ombudsman reform, in particular the need for one ombudsman per sector and enhancing the powers that ombudsman schemes have to enable them to provide better access to justice.

The benefits that a trusted portal, such as a holistic ‘Solutions Explorer’, could deliver for the public will not be realised unless there is also broad reform of the dispute resolution / ombudsman landscape. Without that reform, the benefit of the portal will simply be to inform people more quickly and accurately of the limited and unsatisfactory access to justice that they currently have. 

Effective reform requires three strands of action: a review of gaps in redress into which some of the most vulnerable people in society are falling, and how best to close them; an ambitious programme of education to raise awareness and improve access to justice; and creation of a central point for leading ombudsman policy within government to galvanise action.

We look forward to working with the Law Society, the Ministry of Justice and other stakeholders in the coming months on increasing access to justice, effective reform, and to strengthen the ombudsman landscape – by working collectively, we can create a 21st century justice system that is more accessible, inclusive and fair for all.

You can read the Law Society's interim report here Fresh ideas for 21st century justice | The Law Society