Massachusetts ranked third in latest national Justice Index

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE)- Massachusetts has been ranked third in the nation in this year’s Justice Index, an online ranking survey that measures to what extent states have adopted best practices to ensure “justice for all.”

The Justice Index uses a 100-point scale to rank states in four categories: attorney access, support for self-represented litigants, language access, and disability access.

“We are very pleased by this recognition of our concerted efforts to improve access to justice for all court users, particularly during the past 14 months, when physical access was challenging,” said Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey. “This work remains a high strategic priority for the court system and we know there is much more we need to do.”

The state says it has taken steps to expand access to justice since the last Justice Index rankings, including simplifying the language on court forms and expanding self-help information available on mass.gov/courts.