The conclusions we draw are based on examination of 244 Canadian and international published information items and a special analysis of relevant data from the recently conducted Civil Justice System and the Public project.1 Although that report focuses on perceptions about the judiciary, the results uncovered a lack of reliable information and the related findings are also relevant to issues of p [...] Although not directly informative about 3 To use one example, the majority (75%) of the public in the much cited Environics Research Group (1987) poll agree that the law treats the average Canadian fairly and 75% also agree that the law favours the rich. [...] While the media attacks the judiciary and other aspects of the justice system, those writing from a system perspective are equally likely to paint negative and unhelpful pictures of the media and the public.8 Commentary from a justice system perspective can be even more "unkind" than mainstream media concerning the ability of the public to hold reasoned and reasonable views on the administration o [...] In contrast to the disembodied fragments of 'public opinion' produced by poll and survey questions, participants in the Civil Justice System and the Public research provide rich and complex thoughts about the justice. [...] Because we have already identified that there is a lack of reliable information concerning the state of public confidence in the civil justice system, our cautious answer to the question, "Is there a crisis of public confidence in the civil justice system?" is, "Probably.".