Published: 20th April 2021 PLP has today written to the Office for Statistics Regulation, urging them to examine the use of statistics in the ongoing judicial review reform process. There have been multiple instances of flawed use of statistics in the process so far, perhaps most notability in relation to Cart judicial reviews. On the basis of an obviously flawed success rate figure, the government is now planning on abolishing such claims. PLP Research Director Dr Joe Tomlinson said: “We want an evidenced-based approach to judicial review reform and the Government has claimed it wants the same. But the standards of the statistics being produced are, in places, flawed and misleading. This is now having very real consequences, including the proposed abolition of a process that risks undermining access to justice and the accountability of government.” “We are writing to the Office for Statistics Regulation to invite them to urgently review the use of statistics in this process. Reform of a constitutional safeguard cannot be built upon false and misleading data. Action is required now to ensure bad data does not translate into weaker systems.” You can read more about PLP’s concerns about Cart judicial reviews here. The articles cited in the letter are available here and here: