This week, in Austin, about 20 municipal court leaders were able to spend a couple of days with Emily LaGratta of the Center for Court Innovation to discuss how Procedural Justice can lead to the more successful administration of justice in Texas municipal courts. Emily did a wonderful job leading an interesting, energizing, and useful discussion. It was a wonderful time to hear about the great things happening in Texas municipal courts, to reflect on our challenges, and to generate specific ideas for improvement. One of the resources shared with us is this video that quickly and clearly answers the question: What is Procedural Justice? We were encouraged to watch and think about how our courts provide understanding, neutrality, respect, and voice to our court users–and also to consider what can get in the way of us providing those things in our courts. I encourage you to do the same.
Procedural Justice (or Procedural Fairness) has been mentioned several times on this blog and multiple times over the last several years in TMCEC programs. For more related information, read about the four elements of procedural fairness, the importance of fair procedures vs. fair outcomes, and appearing to do justice.
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