Understand better justice
Data and empirical evidence to help understand access to justice and build a better justice system.
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Research to understand legal need and capability
Our research focuses on the legal and related needs of Victorians, and over time, will make a significant contribution to the Victorian justice system.
Our Research Principles
Impact
We undertake useful research to support improved civil legal services for Victorians.
Rigour
We use sound methodologies and rely on clear evidence for any conclusions.
Collaboration
We work in a collaborative way with the legal sector, civil society and others in the interests of access to justice for Victorians.
Communication
We make our reports publicly available and engage with the sector on research activity.
Independence
We maintain our independence.
Discover how people understand and engage with the law
The Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) is ground-breaking research to understand legal capability, attitudes, and experience of the law in Victoria.
Our research plan
Our research program is divided into four streams, which will each produce complementary outcomes.
Mapping justice
Looking at the availability and content of institutional data across a broad range of civil justice bodies, to understand how legal matters progress, see possible issues with legal processes and identify barriers to access to justice.
Surveying legal literacy
Discovering what Victorians know about their justice system, its institutions and the role they see it play in their lives.
Researching programs and interventions
Taking a rigorous empirical approach to evaluate the need for different legal services, as well as their processes, impacts and outcomes, so that we can figure out 'what works.'
Coordinating and sharing research
Connecting the justice, community and academic sectors to enable knowledge sharing, encourage collaboration, extend the reach of our work and help us to learn from the experience of local and international experts.
Research projects
Our projects cover institutional and general public perspectives.
The PULS is a Victoria-wide survey to understand how people see, understand and engage with the law.
Exploring targeted and effective people-centred services that are meeting legal needs across the Victorian justice and legal assistance sector.
Showcasing access to justice and legal need development
Connecting the justice, community and academic sectors around legal research and evaluation related to access to justice.
Research publications
Dr McDonald’s paper considers the question of just how much “legal” understanding or help different people require to enjoy access to justice, and just what type of research evidence we need to know.
How People see the Law, Lawyers and Courts in Australia.
Research News
Measuring legal capability
Our legal capability measures that can be used to form policy insights is central to our research.
Despite the importance of understanding legal capability, the development of relevant measures is recent.
Measuring different aspects of legal capability is not simple, and approaches will vary. Some things can be asked about directly - for example, specific skills associated with digital capability or functional literacy. Others can’t be observed directly (for example legal confidence or perceived accessibility of lawyers).
This challenge can be addressed by constructing scales to tap into latent traits (in this case, aspects of legal capability) and luckily there is a whole field of study to help with this – psychometrics.
Psychometrics is concerned with the theory and method of measurement, and in particular, measuring things you can’t directly observe. As a result, it is crucial in helping to capture many domains of legal capability.
Legal capability resources
Informing policy and practice
Drawing on our research, we engage with decisionmakers across the justice and community sectors to share our understanding of the legal experience, needs and capability.
Meet the Research Team
Victoria Law Foundation's highly-skilled research team have many years of experience in legal research.
Hugh joined the Foundation in September 2019 as Principal Researcher. He previously worked at the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, on several landmark access to justice and legal need projects.
Throughout his career, he has worked closely with legal aid commissions, community legal centres, state and federal governments, giving him a deep understanding of legal institutions and access to justice issues throughout Australia.
Bridget joined the Victoria Law Foundation in June 2023 as a Senior Researcher. With over 20 years of experience in monitoring, assessment and project management, Bridget is an evaluation specialist. She holds a Master of Public Health from Monash University, and is skilled in quantitative and qualitative measurement and analysis, and building evaluation capacity and systems.
With a background working in international and community not-for-profits, Bridget has led evaluation and research over the last 8 years at Victoria Legal Aid, driving evidence-based practice to underpin the design and delivery of effective, client-centred legal services.
Georgina joined Victoria Law Foundation in June 2023 as a Senior Researcher.
Georgina has a PhD in Legal History from Monash University and has a history of quantitative and qualitative research, which includes working as a Senior Analyst for the Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office and several leading Australian universities.
Her work has been published in the International Journal for Crime, Justice, and Social Democracy, and other journals.
Understanding and Capability is now available
Explore the knowledge, skills and attributes that are required to effectively understand and use the law.