Issue Unkept promises, overly complex government and access to justice

Summary

The report records that citizens feel promises are not being kept and see government as having become too complicated. Citizens see the weaknesses of the rule of law mainly in the conduct of politicians, administrators and civil servants, who in their view act too much by the rules and pay too little attention to people, damaging trust in government. People struggle to understand complex laws and regulations and experience a high threshold for access to justice, which can put legal protection at risk. The childcare benefits scandal showed that government practices causing injustice are not adequately prevented or remedied. The report explains that implementing agencies are trying to respond by making their services more proactive and people-centred, so that social needs are once again at the heart of their work.