A serving prisoner argues that the British public are losing trust in a failing justice system – from police and the courts, to prisons and probation

There is an unwritten agreement between the citizen and the state: obey the law, respect the rules of society, and in return the institutions created to protect you will act with fairness, integrity and accountability.

That agreement depends on one thing above all else: trust. But how can the public continue to trust a system when it appears to fail from every direction?

When politicians are accused of abusing public money through excessive expenses and poor accountability, when police officers entrusted with protecting the public are convicted of serious offences, when institutions designed to uphold justice are themselves placed under scrutiny, people naturally begin to ask a difficult question: who is protecting us from the failures of those who are supposed to protect us?

This is not an attack on the thousands of police officers, judges, lawyers, civil servants and public workers who carry out their duties honestly and professionally every day. It is an examination of something more serious: the institutional failures that have weakened public confidence and created a growing belief that accountability applies differently depending on who you are.

A justice system cannot survive on authority alone. It survives because people believe it is legitimate. And that belief is under pressure.

When police break the law

The police service has historically been one of Britain’s most respected institutions.

The role of a police officer carries enormous responsibility. Officers are given powers most citizens do not have: the ability to detain, search, use force and restrict liberty. Those powers depend on public confidence that they will be exercised responsibly.

Recent years have exposed serious failures in vetting, supervision and organisational culture.

The conviction of a Metropolitan Police officer for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, and the conviction of another Met officer in 2023 for a series of rapes, caused widespread shock. These cases raised questions that went beyond the crimes themselves: how were warning signs missed? Why were concerns not acted upon? How did individuals capable of such serious offending remain within the organisation?

The 2023 Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police highlighted deep cultural problems, including failures relating to misconduct, discrimination and accountability. The damage caused by such failures is not limited to the reputation of one organisation. It affects every interaction between police and public.

If victims fear they will not be believed, if communities believe complaints will not be taken seriously, or if people question whether those wearing the uniform can always be trusted, the entire system becomes weaker. 

Courts and sentencing

Judicial independence is one of the foundations of democracy. Judges must be free to make decisions based on evidence and law, not political pressure or public opinion. But independence does not mean that public concerns should be ignored.

Many victims of serious crime experience a painful gap between the justice they expect and the outcome they see. This is particularly true in cases involving violence, sexual offences and crimes against children.

The public expects that those who commit the most serious offences will receive sentences that reflect the harm caused and the risk they present. When offenders convicted of serious crimes receive sentences that appear inconsistent with public expectations, confidence is damaged.

Every case must be judged individually. Courts must consider evidence, sentencing guidelines and the circumstances of both the offence and offender. But the public must also be able to understand how justice is being delivered.

A system that appears disconnected from the experiences of victims risks losing the trust it needs to operate.

A wider crisis

The problem extends beyond police and courts. Across public life, people increasingly question whether those in positions of authority face the same standards expected of ordinary citizens.

When taxpayers see public money wasted or officials criticised for questionable expenses, it reinforces a damaging perception: that there is one set of rules for those with power and another for everyone else. That perception is corrosive.

Institutions depend on moral authority. They cannot demand respect while appearing unwilling to examine their own failures. Accountability cannot only apply to the powerless. It must apply equally to everyone.

Preventing future victims

A justice system must protect victims. Behind every crime is a person whose life may have been permanently changed. For survivors of violence or abuse, the process of reporting, investigation and court proceedings can be deeply traumatic. When victims believe the punishment does not reflect the seriousness of what happened, it can feel like another injustice.

At the same time, a fair justice system must uphold due process. The rights of defendants matter because fairness is a principle that protects everyone. The challenge is creating a system where fairness does not become confused with weakness, and where rehabilitation does not become an excuse for avoiding accountability.

Serious harm requires serious consequences. But justice must also look beyond punishment. A prison sentence should provide opportunities for education, rehabilitation and change, because reducing future offending protects society.

The strongest justice system is not simply the harshest one. It is the one that prevents future victims.

A moment for reckoning

Britain’s justice system is not beyond repair. The majority of people working within it remain committed professionals who want to serve the public. But institutions only survive when they are willing to confront uncomfortable truths.

The answer is not another report that disappears into government archives. What is required is honesty. The public needs to know that those who hold power are accountable. That failures are investigated. That victims are heard. That trust is earned, not demanded.

Because the question facing Britain today is not simply whether the justice system exists. It is whether people still believe in it. And without trust, even the strongest institutions begin to fall.