Justice on the margins: Two case studies of justice in socially excluded communities

It has long been recognised that for communities to sense legitimacy in justice, the actions of agents of social control must be seen to be democratically accountable. Nevertheless, it will be argued here that many minority groups have been excluded in discourses in both policing and justice, for these ‘forgotten actors’ access to justice remains somewhat elusive. This paper will offer two case studies of forgotten groups; Gypsies and Travellers and Chinese communities, in so doing the paper will draw upon Jones et al. (1994) perquisites of democratic accountability showing how access to justice for these marginalised minority groups remain unmet. The paper will show how systems of justice has failed to engage with these communities and argue for a more inclusive approach in criminology and social policies that allows for better engagement with ‘forgotten groups’ and move away from focusing on the ‘usual suspects’.