CBABC has prepared a submission to the Ministry of Attorney General encouraging the Court Services Branch and the Courts to develop and implement court user surveys. The surveys would collect information directly from court users about their experiences with the intention of increasing innovation and access to justice.
Court user surveys range from short, anonymized scale ratings (e.g., “Rate your experience today on a scale from 1 to 10”) to full sets of detailed questions seeking both quantitative and qualitative data about different aspects of the user’s background, circumstances and experience.
In the submission, CBABC recommends that developing and implementing court user experience surveys would help court administration:
- identify unknown problems, inefficiencies and barriers that inhibit access to the courts or needlessly complicate the process for users
- courts identify solutions to those issues
- build and enhance public trust and confidence in the courts.
Considering the ongoing digital transformation of the BC court system, it is important to evaluate proposed innovations from court users’ perspectives in order to identify which ones have improved access to justice, which may have posed unintended consequences or barriers, and what further steps can be taken to better serve British Columbians.
Questions? Email us at advocacy@cbabc.org
Related Links
Court User Surveys Bibliography