Better communication, better justice - new campaign for Witness Intermediaries
11 Jan 2006
Witness Intermediaries have been used successfully in pathfinder schemes across England and Wales since February 2004, assisting vulnerable witnesses to understand questions and communicate their answers in police investigations and trials. The Intermediary Registration Board is looking to expand its current register of 77 accredited intermediaries and invites applications for registration in 2006.
Vulnerable witnesses whose communication difficulties mean that they could benefit from the assistance of an intermediary include children and young people under the age of 17 and people with physical, mental or learning disabilities or disorders. Intermediaries are selected for their specialist communication facilitation skills and experience, and may include speech and language therapists, psychologists, teachers, health professionals, children's guardians and social care workers.
Victims and Witnesses Minister Fiona Mactaggart said:
"Witnesses are key to the success of the criminal justice system. Too often in the past people who have difficulty communicating have not been able to give evidence and as a result wrong doers have not been brought to justice. Vulnerable witnesses in particular must receive the help and support they need to feel confident and reassured about giving evidence.
"Witness intermediaries can mean the difference between vulnerable witnesses communicating their best evidence or not communicating at all. As part of the Government's work to improve services to victims and witnesses, I believe that intermediaries will encourage more witnesses to come forward in the knowledge that they can be supported at every stage in the process of criminal investigation and prosecution. This will improve access to justice to some of the most vulnerable people in society."
Chief Executive of Voice UK Kathryn Stone said:
"People with learning disabilities have historically been denied access to the criminal justice system, and witness intermediaries are helping to change that.
"One of the strengths of the intermediary scheme is that it recognises that different communication needs should not be a bar to justice, and that support is available for every witness so that they can give their best evidence.
"Intermediaries are now enabling children and vulnerable people to truly participate in the court process, and as a consequence, bringing more offenders who target vulnerable people to justice.
"Voice UK is proud to support the intermediary scheme; it is a significant development for both people with learning disabilities and the criminal justice system."
Speech and language therapist and Registered Intermediary Lorna Pink said:
"If a witness has difficulty expressing themselves in a way that others can understand we can look at ways to facilitate their answers as coherently, accurately and completely as possible. We also help witnesses understand the questions they are being asked but without changing the substance.
"The intermediary scheme provides witnesses with an opportunity for equal rights and a chance to give their best evidence in court."
The intermediary project is to be rolled out in phases, with the current phase identifying best practice and testing structures. Recommendations for next steps and timings for the project will be put forward in the summer of 2006.
The Government's current programme of work for witnesses also includes funding the Witness Service, which is present in every Crown Court and magistrates' court, and the No Witness, No Justice project, which introduced dedicated local Witness Care Units across England and Wales. 165 Witness Care Units were established by the end of December 2005 as planned.