Young people’s perception of lawyers in Hong Kong: a comparison between offenders, youth-at-risk and students

Abstract

Young people in Hong Kong are more likely than any other age group to come into contact with the justice system. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on youth attitudes toward lawyers. The aim of this study was to compare the understanding and perceptions of lawyers among three youth groups classified according to experience in instructing lawyers and varying degrees of delinquency – young offenders (the only group who had experience of hiring lawyers), youth-at-risk and students (N = 1,157), and to determine if perceptions of lawyers affect views on the legitimacy of the justice system. Students showed greater understanding about lawyers and more favorable perceptions of fairness in lawyer-client interactions compared with young offenders and youth-at-risk. A better understanding of lawyers had a positive association with perceptions of fairness and a higher perception of fairness had a positive association with legitimacy of the justice system. Recommendations are also discussed.