Socio-Legal Research at UCL Laws

Welcome to the Research on Tribunals and Ethnic Diversity Website

This research project aims to look at the experiences of minority ethnic appellants before and during the process of an appeal at a tribunal. It has been commissioned by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and is part of the ‘Courts and Diversity Programme’ which is detailed on their website.

As a direct response to the Macpherson Report the study focuses on the perceptions and experiences of tribunal users across three tribunals; the Appeals Service; Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel: and Special Educational Needs Tribunal.
Interviews with appellants and observations of hearings are being conducted at hearing centres across the country. A quantitative study of appeal outcomes across different ethnic groups is also being carried out.

The report is significant in the face of the hitherto under researched field of ethnic minorities’ interaction with the civil justice system and pertinent in the light of the creation of a unified Tribunals Service, while further addressing wider issues of access to justice.