Procedural Justice and Complaints about Police

Abstract

Prior to this research, legal practitioners and client advocates in New South Wales were regularly reporting that their disadvantaged or marginalised clients were mistrustful of, and dissatisfied with, the NSW Police complaints system. In an online survey, 239 client advocates described a recent incident in which a client with grounds to lodge a complaint against police declined and provided the reasons for their client’s decision. Qualitative analyses of the narrative responses confirmed the anecdotal evidence, thereby indicating a diminished sense of the legitimacy of the police service. The research findings were then examined against the four principles of procedural justice – trustworthiness, respectful treatment, neutrality and voice – which have been established as critical for securing and maintaining police legitimacy. This allowed conclusions to be drawn about how police might restore community confidence.