Why Develop Public Trust and Confidence/Legislative Branch Best Practices?
The Commission on Trial Court Performance Standards identified public trust and confidence as one of five fundamental responsibilities of courts. During the landmark 1999 National Conference on Public Trust and Confidence in the Justice System, the 500 representatives of the bench, bar, and public identified “lack of public understanding” as a primary cause of low confidence in courts. The Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators’ (COSCA) Joint Committee on Public Trust and Confidence in the Judiciary, the Public Trust and Confidence Implementation Committee that was established following the 1999 conference, and participants of the conference asked for models and best practices to enhance public trust and improve public understanding. Addressing the public’s lack of understanding is a multifaceted endeavor, requiring outreach to several different sectors, such as the local community, other components of the justice system, members of the medi
