An Exploration of Sociodemographic Determinants to Accessing Justice from a Socio-legal Approach

Sociodemographic variables are knowable and provide information on the individual's social, economic, and personal position. Access to justice has not always remained uniform; it has been subjective to various factors, including the sociodemographic of the litigants. This study examined popular sociodemographics as the determinant of justice accessibility from a socio-legal approach. The study used a quantitative methodology and cross-sectional design. It was exploratory and descriptive in type. 547 district court litigants in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan participated in this study. A survey method was used to collect the data on a closed-ended questionnaire, which was analyzed by applying IBM SPSS version 22. Overall, the study rendered important empirical results and revealed that sociodemographic indicators are related to justice accessibility, except for one religious affiliation. Additionally, the study identified a weak socioeconomic status of the litigants. The study concluded that sociodemographic variables are the factors that determine the justice accessibility of an individual. Justice accessibility can be increased by improving the socioeconomic conditions of the litigants and conducting more studies on a larger scale to understand the relationship of sociodemographics with access to justice.