When corruption hits the judiciary: A global perspective on access to justice and corruption

Abstract

This study asks if the level of corruption relates to perception of access to justice. Looking at the supply side of access to justice, a corrupt judicial system will imply that the less well-off cannot afford to gain their rights. However, does corruption widen a justice gap? Studies show that corruption relates to democracy, wealth and equality. The link between corruption and the judiciary is less studied. This study explores the general global relations statistically with use of data from 113 countries. Using multiple regression, it corroborates the classical debate on inequality and equal access to justice but critically contribute to this debate by finding that corruption has an independent and strong relation to access to justice. However, it also finds that income inequality continues to be of importance. This finding is not trivial but suggests that anti-corruption and equality policies may improve access to justice.