Procedural Justice
Definition
The perceived fairness of how police make decisions and exercise authority. Four components: voice (people feel heard), neutrality (consistent, unbiased decisions), respectful treatment, and trustworthy motives. Tyler's research shows it predicts compliance and cooperation more strongly than outcome fairness.
- Researcher
- Tom Tyler
- Four components
- Voice, neutrality, respect, trustworthy motives
- Predicts
- Compliance and cooperation
- Contrast
- Outcome fairness
Common questions
Why does procedural justice predict compliance better than outcome fairness?+
Tyler's research found people are more willing to accept a decision they disagree with, and to cooperate with police in future, when they feel the process was fair and they were treated with respect, than when they simply got the outcome they wanted, because fair process signals legitimate authority rather than a one-off favourable result.
How is procedural justice relevant to a forensic scientist testifying in court?+
An expert's demeanour, willingness to explain limitations, and even-handedness under cross-examination shape how fair the process appears to jurors, independent of the technical content of the testimony, which can affect the perceived legitimacy of the verdict itself.
Related terms
- Community Policing
- A policing model that builds sustained partnerships between officers and residents through foot patrols, neighbourhood liaison, and joint problem identification. Emphasises prevention...
- Discretion
- The latitude police officers exercise in deciding whether and how to act. Studies by James Q. Wilson showed that street-level discretion shapes...
- Hot-Spots Policing
- A tactic that concentrates patrol resources on small high-crime micro-locations (street segments, addresses, or intersections). Supported by consistent evidence from randomised controlled...
- Police Legitimacy
- The public belief that police authority is rightful and deserving of voluntary compliance. Distinguished from compliance secured through fear of sanctions. Legitimacy...
- Problem-Oriented Policing
- A model developed by Herman Goldstein in which police identify and address the specific conditions generating recurring crime or disorder, using the...