Introduction - legal services, criminal justice and welfare provision in rural areas, Christopher Harding and John Williams; the provision of legal services in rural Wales, W.J. Edwards and D. Rogers; research into criminal justice in rural areas, Christopher Harding; rural Crown Courts - are they different?, Paul Robertshaw; the magistrate in a rural area with particular reference to courts in west Wales, Margaret Gwynne Lloyd; problems affecting rural policing, Pat Jones; non-statutory support for victims and offenders, Lynne Hurley; community care - the law and rural areas, John Williams.