2014 Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into Access to Justice Arrangements

Introduction

The Productivity Commission has finally released its Report into Access to Justice Arrangements in Australia (the Report). The Commission was tasked with examining Australia's system of civil dispute resolution, with a focus on constraining costs and promoting access to justice and equality before the law.

A number of recommendations are likely to leave insurers with mixed feelings.

As expected, results of the inquiry reveal that Australia's justice system is too slow and too expensive, with more resources required to meet the needs of disadvantaged Australians to close the gap in access to legal services. However, some recommendations, such as increasing court fees, may be counter-productive.