Why do we need effective scrutiny and accountability?
Whether it’s in policing, courts, prisons or probation, criminal justice bodies have a range of powers which can deprive an individual of their liberty and significantly impact their lives and their futures. The criminal justice system is largely hidden from public view, and few have insight into what happens behind its closed doors. It is essential that criminal justice bodies are effectively scrutinised to ensure they are treating people fairly and humanely in line with international human rights standards.
There are many independent inspectorates and groups who scrutinise different parts of the criminal justice system at a local, national and international level. However, they face a range of barriers which prevent them from fully holding criminal justice bodies to account and driving change.