Mal Fletcher comments

The conclusion of the Milly Dowler trial saw the emergence of a string of impassioned charges about the way courts of law handle crime victims. A week later, the selection process for British judges was also called into question. At present, it seems, judges are hopelessly out of touch with the general public, socio-economically and ethnically.

Great care will need to be taken to ensure that the public do not also begin to lose trust in either the police or the courts.

During this time of austerity, every major societal institution is being called into question.

There is no hankering after change for change's sake and people distrust calls for change that appear opportunistic. Some unions run the risk of losing all credibility if they push ahead with strikes that the majority of the public will see as self-serving.

But there is strong desire to ensure that while our economy may be in flux we can at least say that the other foundations of society are in good working order.

In the end, whether it's in the media, government, business or the law, damaged public trust is only restored when leaders begin to replace short-sighted self-interest with a visible drive for the common good.

Unless the currency of public trust is boosted, Britain will remain a far poorer country even after its economy is fully restored.