Policing and the criminal justice system
Public confidence and perceptions: Findings from the 2003/04 British Crime Survey

The report presents the findings from the 2003/04 British Crime Survey on public confidence and perceptions of policing and the wider criminal justice. It looks at recent trends for confidence in the CJS including respondents' views on sentencing and also the publics' views on police and their performance.

Title: Policing and the criminal justice system – public confidence and perceptions: findings from the 2003/04 British Crime Survey
Authors: Jonathan Allen, May El Komy, Jorgen Lovbakke, Hannah Roy
Series: Home Office Online Report 31/05
Date published: June 2005
Number of pages: 43
Availability: Download full report (PDF 100Kb)

• Three-quarters of people in 2003/04 were very or fairly confident that the criminal justice system (CJS) respects the rights of people accused of committing a crime and treats them fairly. In respect of the other measures, less than half of people were confident.
  
  
• Confidence in the criminal justice system was slightly higher in 2003/04 than it had been the previous year.
  
  
• All ethnic groups were more likely to be confident that the CJS meets the needs of victims than in 2002/03.
  
  
• All criminal justice system agencies received higher ratings in 2003/04 than in the previous year with the exception of the police. Ratings of the police in general remained the same as in 2002/03.