The national conferences of Chief Judges and Court Administrators recently passed a resolution encouraging all state courts to embrace “procedural justice” (a.k.a. procedural fairness). The resolution states that “extensive research demonstrates that in addition to providing legal due process, it is important also to meet the public’s expectations regarding the process in order to increase positive public perceptions of the court system, reduce recidivism, and increase compliance with court orders.” In other words, perception matters – the public’s view of the courts even affects the crime rate – so Court Watch NOLA will be incorporating the concept of procedural justice into its own observations and reports over the coming weeks. Check out www.proceduralfairness.org for even more information on this crucial topic.
