Society, Law and Policy

Laws express a society’s intentions. Whether they work depends on how they are drafted, how institutions apply them and how people experience them. This vertical studies that whole journey.

Why it matters

Legislatures pass laws quickly and sometimes with little debate. Courts carry large backlogs. Policing affects public trust in the state more than almost any other service. New questions about online speech, privacy and misinformation are reaching legislatures and courts faster than evidence about them. Each of these is a question of law and of society at once.

How we work

• Legislative scrutiny. We analyse bills and ordinances, and the debates around them.
• Access to justice. We study legal aid, alternative dispute resolution and court delays.
• Rights and liberties. We follow developments in speech, privacy and policing.
• Social research. We use surveys and interviews to understand how laws are experienced.

Lawyers, sociologists and political scientists work together in this vertical, which collaborates closely with Institutions and Social Justice.