HOW GOING TO COURT AFFECTS THE ATTITUDES TOWARDS COURTS

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to explore how different types of experiences with courts shape attitudes towards the courts and the justice system, through a secondary analysis of data collected in 2006-2007 using a nationally representative sample of adult urban population of Turkey. Findings indicate that the attitudes of citizens with prior court experience are less positive than attitudes of those with no such experience. It is argued that a negative attitude towards the courts is the outcome of having an experience with the courts, rather than the other way around. It was found that satisfaction with the court experience positively influenced the attitudes towards courts for those who experienced court as civil and criminal plaintiffs, as well as observers and witnesses, while satisfaction with outcomes had same effect for criminal defendants. It is argued that attitudes towards courts are shaped by two components: The stable base which reflects a general and abstract trust in institutions, and a flexible component which is shaped by the nature of the experience and interaction that one has with the courts.