MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
News Release (No: 071/07) issued by The Government News Network on
12 June 2007
A scheme assisting
vulnerable witnesses to access the criminal justice process will
be rolled out nationally, following an announcement by Justice
Minister Gerry Sutcliffe.
Professional intermediaries help children and people with mental
and physical disabilities through the various stages of the
criminal justice process. They are selected for their specialist
skills and experience as speech and language therapists,
psychologists, teachers, health professionals and social workers
and are used to help to make the justice process more accessible
to some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The national roll-out follows the success of eight regional
pilots trialled across the country which have supported
approximately 700 witnesses. Results from the pilots have
indicated that the scheme has helped to bring more offences to
justice, improved victim and witness satisfaction and increased
public confidence in the criminal justice system. In the opinion
of the criminal justice practitioners that were consulted, at
least half of the cases would not have reached the trial stage
without the involvement of an intermediary. In some cases, the
work of the intermediary will be the difference between a witness
being heard by the justice system or not.
Speaking at the fourth annual intermediary conference, Justice
Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, said:
"Looking after the needs of victims and witnesses has been
highlighted as a priority for the new Ministry of Justice. It is
vitally important that people feel confident in coming forward and
that they should receive the necessary support to do so.
"We will do this through a combination of making emotional
and practical support more accessible and by improving processes
to better suit their needs. The use of intermediaries has made the
complexities of the justice process more accessible to some of the
most vulnerable people in society."
Amanda McLellan, an intermediary for three years, said:
"I am delighted to have been part of a scheme that has done
much to improve access to justice for vulnerable people and to
give them a voice within the criminal justice process. In
particular, I am impressed by how the criminal justice system has
been really forward thinking in changing to fit the needs of children."
Notes to Editors
1. The intermediary service is running in eight pilot areas,
including; Merseyside, Thames Valley, West Midlands, South Wales
(Cardiff and Swansea Crown Courts and a limited number of
magistrates' courts), Norfolk, Devon, Cornwall (Plymouth
Crown Court and Plymouth Magistrates' Court), Leicestershire
and Derbyshire.
2. The research findings into the pilot schemes were published on
12 June 2007 and can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
(http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research.htm)
3. Minister for Justice, Gerry Sutcliffe, was speaking at a
conference today for stakeholders and practitioners at Inns Court
School of Law, Morrison Hall, Atkin Building, Gray's Inn, London.
http://www.justice.gov.uk