UKAJI

By Nick O’Brien Nick O’Brien reviews a new book by Naomi Creutzfeldt on her study exploring national differences in complainants’ levels of trust in ombuds. In her timely new book, Ombudsmen and ADR: A Comparative Study of Informal Justice in Europe, Naomi Creutzfeldt (University of Westminster) shows that ‘the relationships people have with the informal … Continue reading →

  Today the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights publishes a damning report on the Home Office’s treatment of two members of the Windrush generation who were wrongfully detained and whose cases reflect, in the views of the Committee, what was ‘in all likelihood a systemic failure’. By Margaret Doyle The Joint Committee on … Continue reading →

In this blog post. Lauren Cooper discusses her research on agency and fairness in the asylum process and the strategies used by asylum seekers, based on ethnographic observations of tribunal hearings. By Lauren Cooper Justice. Everyone recognises the word, yet the meaning is often contested. Dictionary definitions indicate ‘fairness’ and ‘reasonableness’, but it is rarely … Continue reading →

In our Research Roadmap published in February of this year, UKAJI cited the roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) as an example of the extraordinary impact of administrative justice on the day-to-day lives of people. In this blog post, we consider the recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO) on its independent review of UC, … Continue reading →

This week is the one-year anniversary of the fire at Grenfell Tower. The fire led to the deaths of 72 people; it has been called a tragedy and a preventable mass fatality, both terms implying different degrees of accountability of public bodies. We have learned much over the past year about the causes of the … Continue reading →

Researchers exploring the effect of complaints on public-sector staff are seeking examples of ‘what works’ for a Model Document. Carolyn Hirst and Chris Gill Chris Gill has already posted a note of the conference which took place at Queen Margaret University on 5 December 2017, at which our research on the findings of a small … Continue reading →

Researchers from the University of Essex are exploring the design of a new public-sector ombud in conjunction with the Jersey Law Commission. By Andrew Le Sueur and Margaret Doyle Background The current project has had a long gestation. In 2000, the Review Panel on Machinery of Government in Jersey (chaired by Sir Cecil Clothier) recommended … Continue reading →

‘What is administrative justice?’ is one of the pages on our website most viewed by visitors. At UKAJI, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the answer to this question – and, more importantly, why it matters. We’ve developed a range of resources to help illuminate what we know and understand about administrative justice … Continue reading →

By Emma Marshall In response to some of the difficulties that individuals face in accessing Exceptional Case Funding for legal aid, Public Law Project conducted research about the role that university law clinics play in improving access to the scheme. The research finds that whilst there are some limitations for Exceptional Case Funding clinics, overall … Continue reading →

‘You would be surprised how often the just society, the good life, human happiness, call it what you will, is pushed out of our reach, not by the malevolence of some people, usually referred to as ” they,” who are consciously depriving us of it, or by the inertia of those to whom we entrust … Continue reading →

Transparency, accountability and the role of internal review – key administrative justice design considerations – feature in proposed changes to the way the Parole Board makes decisions. The Worboys case, heard in the High Court on 13-14 March 2018, is the first time a victim has challenged a Parole Board decision. Two victims of the … Continue reading →