Courts, court users and the judicial process

ICPR has long-standing experience of conducting empirical courts-based research. Prior studies have examined sentence decision-making and public attitudes to sentencing; the quality of criminal advocacy; and what it is like to attend the criminal courts as a defendant, witness or victim. Current work includes research into what it means to 'participate' in criminal, family and tribunal proceedings; the values shaping deliberation in the Court of Protection; and the preparation of witness statements for the Employment Tribunal.

Publications

Gibbs, P. and Kirby, Amy (2014) Judged by peers? The diversity of lay magistrates in England and Wales. Working Paper. Institute for Criminal Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.

Kirby, Amy, Jacobson, Jessica and Hunter, Gillian (2014) Effective participation or passive acceptance: How can defendants participate more effectively in the court process? Working Paper. Howard League for Penal Reform.

Hough, Mike, Bradford, B., Jackson, J. and Roberts, J.V. (2013) Attitudes to sentencing and trust in justice: exploring trends from the crime survey for England and Wales. Ministry of Justice Analytical Series. London, UK: Ministry of Justice.

Hough, Mike, Farrall, S. and McNeil, F. (2013) Intelligent justice: balancing the effects of community sentences and custody. Project Report. The Howard League for Penal Reform, London, UK.

Body-Gendrot, S., Hough, Mike, Kerezsi, K., Levy, R. and Snacken, S., eds. (2013) The Routledge handbook of European Criminology. Routledge International Handbooks. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Hough, Mike and Kirby, Amy (2013) The role of public opinion in formulating sentencing guidelines. In: Ashworth, A. and Roberts, J.V. (eds.) Sentencing Guidelines: Exploring the English Model.Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 140-156.