Justice

Democracy is in crisis in Wales. Public bodies are unrepresentative of the people they serve and too few people have a say in the decisions that affect them. We want to ensure everyone has a voice in important decisions, and that democracy and civil society are thriving.

Why it matters

Every minute of the day, public, private and third sector bodies make decisions which have a direct impact on people’s lives. The people they most affect are often absent from the process.

  • In the May 2017 local elections just 4 out of 10 people voted

  • In local elections, in 1 in 13 seats there was only one candidate

  • In the general population 90% do not get involved in council business

Changes such as City Deals and the reform of local government mean decisions are becoming even more remote from ordinary people.

People struggle to challenge decisions that they are unhappy with, because the process for appealing or complaining are hard to access and difficult to understand.

In civil society, third sector organisations face questions about accountability and public trust and confidence.

Our aim

We want everyone to have a strong voice in the decisions that affect them.  We want public institutions that reflect Wales’ diverse population. And we want people from all walks of life actively involved in social movements and civil society. When people are unhappy with decisions, we want them to have access to justice.

What we will do

We are working on proposals to strengthen democracy and justice so that ordinary people can influence the decisions that affect them.  This will include:

  • A vibrant local democracy in which people have their say and institutions listen
  • Rights and redress when things go wrong
  • A thriving civil society

We will seek external funding to deliver this programme, although where essential we will use our reserves to ensure that the voices of ordinary people are not ignored in major debates.

We are also working to influence the future UK immigration policy post-Brexit and on improving social integration in Welsh communities.

 What we’ve already done

Our ideas are already making a difference with The Big Lottery in Wales currently acting on our findings about ‘doing good’.


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