HONOLULU — The National Center for Access to Justice recently released its Justice Index 2021, which ranks the degree to which each state has adopted best practices for ensuring access to justice for all individuals. The Hawaii State Judiciary is proud to report that Hawaii was ranked sixth overall.
“To be ranked among the best in the nation is an amazing achievement,” said Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald. “It is gratifying to know that we are providing high levels of service to our community.”
The Justice Index is a periodic comprehensive study providing an in-depth review of each state’s performance in four key policy areas. Here is how Hawaii ranked in each:
Attorney access – 14th
Support for self-represented litigants – 6th
Language access – 7th
Disability access – 1st (tied with Connecticut)
“Our Office on Equality and Access to the Courts (OEAC) has done a tremendous job in supporting individuals with disabilities, and those for whom English is not their first language,” said the Chief Justice. “The volunteers serving on the Supreme Court Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts and Committee on Court Interpreters and Language Access have provided significant insight and recommendations to OEAC and the Judiciary in this regard and we thank them for their invaluable service.”
Hawaii’s top 10 ranking reflects a tremendous collaborative effort by many parties, including the Judiciary, the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, the Hawaii Justice Foundation, legal service providers, and community partners, including the William S. Richardson School of Law, the Office of Language Access, and the Hawaii State Bar Association and its members.
“On behalf of the Judiciary, I want to acknowledge those whose work has contributed greatly to this recognition, and thank them for their commitment to expanding access to justice in Hawaii,” Chief Justice Recktenwald said.