ADHD: The parent viewpoint
Kelly and Heather both work at Communicourt and have 11-year-old boys who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To mark ADHD Awareness Month, they talk about the reality of how the condition affects their children. Kelly's story People think they know what ADHD is, but often they know... Continue reading
Hearing loops in court proceedings: The good, the bad and the squeaky
N.B. This article is of most relevance to court users with mild to moderate hearing loss, rather than d/Deaf court users who may have severe or profound hearing loss and who may require a BSL (British Sign Language) interpreter or lip-speaker. The Advocate’s Gateway Toolkit 11: “Planning to question someone... Continue reading
Meeting Needs: Intermediaries in legal conferences
As intermediaries, our working lives are very varied. One day we can be administering assessments, the next we are whispering explanations in court and advising barristers about changes to question style prior to cross-examination. One part of our job that is a little less well-known is assisting during conferences. As... Continue reading
Easy read documents: Not as simple as you might think
I recently attended a conference with a defendant in prison. During the usual lengthy wait to gain entry, I bumped into his barrister who was able to brief me on the purpose of the conference. She shared a document which she wished to take the defendant through, setting out all... Continue reading
Menopause matters: opening up the conversation
In some instances, sources cited in this article refer to women. However, menopause is a condition which impacts people of all genders. The issues explored in this article may also impact transgender people, non-binary people and others, who are an important part of this conversation. At Communicourt, we are celebrating... Continue reading
Communicourt launches The Access Brief
Does my client need an intermediary? How can intermediary help at a parole hearing? What are ‘questions in advance’? If you have a question about communication difficulties and court proceedings, you will find the answer in The Access Brief, a new resource created by Communicourt. Extract: 'Identifying communication needs', a... Continue reading
ADHD & Criminal Justice: Understanding the Iceberg
The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among people in the Criminal Justice System is believed to be around ten times that of the general population, with around 25% of adults in prison having ADHD compared to 2.5% of adults in the general population (Young & Cocallis, 2021). Given... Continue reading
“You Do Understand, Don’t You?”: A Guide to Checking Understanding
One of our intermediaries Holly talks about how to avoid the 'do you understand?' trap. If I could wave my magical intermediary fidget aid and make one small change to legal proceedings, I would banish the question, “Do you understand?” from existence. Almost impossible to avoid, “Do you understand?” (and... Continue reading
Why questions in advance matter
Holly examines how questions in advance can help legal professionals and their clients. At the vast majority of Ground Rules Hearings, both in criminal and family cases, Communicourt intermediaries request questions in advance. This practice involves all advocates submitting their intended questions for the respondent, intervenor, witness or defendant to... Continue reading
