Image Credit: Cliff MacArthur/provincialcourt.bc.ca

The majority of B.C. residents say the justice system needs additional resources to deal with cases.

According to a Research Co. poll, more than 80 per cent of British Columbians believe the justice system needs more resources because it takes too long to get matters through the courts.

The online poll found that only 19 per cent of B.C. residents thought of the justice system highly while 25 per cent rated it poorly.

Fifty per cent of the province's residents gave the justice system grades between four and seven.

"More than one-in-ten British Columbians (13 per cent) give the lowest grade available to the justice system," Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a media release issued, Dec. 28. "This includes 17 per cent of British Columbians aged 55 and over and 23 per cent of residents of Indigenous descent."

The majority of B.C. residents (79 per cent) believe that the outcome of cases depends heavily on how good your lawyer is.

Three in four British Columbians (74 per cent) also believe the justice system is too soft on offenders, and that number jumps to 85 per cent of those over 55 years old.

While the public's impression of the justice system isn't great, less than half of the population had ever dealt with it.

The poll found 47 per cent had interacted with the justice system in one way or another, with 10 per cent going to the small claims court, 17 per cent had a case related to criminal proceedings, 20 per cent a family matter, and 22 per cent had dealt with a traffic issue.

Of those that had a traffic or bylaw issue, 59 per cent thought the outcome was fair, with that number dropping slightly to 53 per cent for those who dealt with either a family or small claims court matter.

For B.C. residents who were involved in criminal proceedings, 46 per cent thought the resolution was fair and 45 per cent thought it wasn't.

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