In our podcast, Accessing Justice, we explore the barriers to fair access to justice for people with communication difficulties, with insights from expert guests.
Topics covered include how communication needs are considered in criminal and family courts, through to fair access to justice in police interviews.
We have also covered how hidden disabilities, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or stuttering, can inhibit access to justice, but may be overlooked in legal proceedings.
Communication Needs in the Conference Room and Beyond with Solicitor Siobhan McCallum from MSB Solicitors
In this episode, solicitor Siobhan McCallum (MSB) shares her experience of assisting clients with communication differences and difficulties in Family proceedings.
From holistically exploring each client’s specific needs in order to identify any necessary support, to making thoughtful adjustments to meeting rooms, and working alongside intermediaries, Siobhan brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, and lots of practical suggestions for legal professionals working with clients who have communication difficulties (including how to arrange intermediary assistance for standalone conferences).
Series Three (2024)
Episode three: Autism at Court with Chris Packham
Broadcaster and environmentalist, Chris Packham, very kindly shared a clip exploring his experiences of attending court, through his own autistic lens, as part of Communicourt’s 2023 Accessing Justice Conference.
In this episode, intermediaries, Holly & Rory, listen to Chris’ perspective and reflect on the issues he raises. The discussion considers preparation for attending legal proceedings, measures which can be implemented to support court users for whom unfamiliar locations and processes pose particular barriers, the impact of sensory sensitivities in a court setting, adjustments for sensory sensitivities, and the difficulty of hearing proceedings clearly.
Episode two: The Evolution of Accessible Justice, HHJ Neil Clark
In this episode, we’re sharing the opening address delivered at our 2023 Access to Justice Conference by His Honour Judge Neil Clark. Appointed to the North East circuit in 2012, Judge Clark has participated in a number of initiatives relating to both special measures and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) at Leeds Crown Court.
This opening speech explores the justice system’s ongoing journey towards improved accessibility for vulnerable people. Listen in as Judge Clark shares both his personal experiences and his considerable experience in the courtroom, to unpack why he believes steady evolution, not rapid upheaval, is needed to continually improve access to justice.
Episode one: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Special Measures, Kama Melly KC
Kama Melly KC (Park Square Barristers) explores trauma-informed, person-centered approaches to facilitating the evidence of vulnerable witnesses and defendants.
Speaking at Communicourt’s Access to Justice Conference 2023, Kama considers how we can step outside of the special measures set out in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (1999), in order to support the participation of vulnerable court users, including children and people affected by trauma.
Series Two (2023): Hidden Disabilities
In our second series we will be exploring the impact of hidden disabilities on individuals involved in legal proceedings. We speak to experts on topics including stammering, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), stroke and trauma, to learn more about how these (sometimes overlooked) conditions may affect a defendant or respondant at court.
Episode one: Stammering and Legal Proceedings with Dr David Ward
Intermediary, Miriam John, woke up one morning with a psychogenic stammer, which later disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared. In the first episode of the Accessing Justice podcast series 2 (Hidden Disabilities), Miriam talks to her former Speech and Language Therapy lecturer, Dr David Ward (University of Reading) about her own experience and explores how stammering may impact an individual’s participation in legal proceedings.
If you would like to contact David, please note that the email address provided in this episode has now changed. He can now be contacted at: David.ward@reading.ac.uk
For more information about stammering & legal proceedings, download our free guide from The Access Brief and explore some of the excellent work undertaken by STAMMA, including their guidance for judges.
Episode two: Trauma and Legal Proceedings with Cliff Hawkins
Cliff Hawkins is a clinical psychologist with considerable experience working with people with learning disabilities. He has also served as an expert witness in legal proceedings. In the second episode of our Hidden Disabilities series, Cliff discusses trauma and its possible impacts on individuals involved in legal proceedings, with intermediary Carla Millington.
Episode three: Stroke and Legal Proceedings with Austin Willett (Different Strokes)
Austin Willett is the CEO of Different Strokes, a charity helping younger stroke survivors and their families to achieve active recovery throughout their lives. In the third episode of our Hidden Disabilities series, Austin and Miriam John (intermediary) explore the possible impacts of stroke upon communication and the potential challenges a stroke survivor may face when participating in legal proceedings.
Episode four: ADHD and Legal Proceedings with ADHD UK (Global Conference)
ADHD UK hosted a panel discussion on “ADHD and the Criminal Justice System” as part of the first Global ADHD Conference.
Henry Sheldon (ADHD UK) chaired a conversation with William Scrimshire (Communicourt), Michelle White (Teesside University) and Allison Woodhead (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust), exploring topics including underdiagnosis of the condition among individuals in the criminal justice system, police questioning of individuals with ADHD and the barriers to participation a defendant with ADHD may face at court.
Episode five: Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) with Becky Clark (ClarkSLT)
Becky Clark is a speech and language therapist and founder of ClarkSLT. She co-founded the RADLD YouTube campaign to raise awareness and understanding of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
In the fifth episode of our Hidden Disabilities series, Becky talks to Communicourt intermediary, Maija Siren, about this underdiagnosed language disorder, unpacking DLD, alongside some of its potential impacts for court users.
Episode six: Traumatic Brain Injury with Sarah Gibbin, Arbour Neurorehabilitation Services
In this episode, intermediary Maija Siren talks to highly specialist speech & language therapist, Sarah Gibbin about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and some of the impacts the condition can have on communication. Maija brings an intermediary’s perspective to the conversation, considering how the ‘hidden disabilities’ a person with a mild or moderate TBI may have could affect them in legal proceedings.
Sarah is a senior speech & language therapist with specialist post-graduate training in communication disorders post traumatic brain injury and acquired swallowing disorders. Sarah has worked across a range of hospital and community settings and now works part-time in the NHS, and recently completed a Masters in Research (Communication Disorders). Sarah also works as an expert witness for medico-legal cases, via Somek & Associates, providing specialist speech & language therapy assessment and reports required for court proceedings.
Episode seven: Selective Mutism with Susannah Thompson, SMIRA
In this episode, intermediary Demi Holden talks to Speech & Language Therapist Susannah Thomson about Selective Mutism, touching on everything from Selective Mutism myths, to how professionals can better assist court users with selective mutism in the justice system.
Susannah Thomson is a Speech and Language Therapist working online but based in Bristol. Her private caseload includes children and adults with Selective Mutism (SM). She was trained to the Advanced level by Maggie Johnson and Alison Wintgens, the authors of the SM Resource Manual, and is a member of the profession’s Clinical Excellence Network. She is a Trustee of the national SM charity SMIRA and is a regular contributor on the SMIRA Facebook group . She designed the guided process on “How to Get Help for Selective Mutism” and runs training courses on working with teens and adults with Selective Mutism. More information about Susannah’s work can be found on her website: speech-freedom.co.uk
Series One (2021)
In our first series, across five episodes, we explore a wide range of topics from how communication needs are considered in criminal and family courts, through to fair access to justice in police interviews.
Episode one: Communication Needs and the Right to a Fair Trial with Sanchita Hosali
Sanchita Hosali, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR). Sanchita discusses how we can apply our human rights. In particular, she talks about how the Right to a Fair Trial can offer protection for a defendant or respondent with communication needs in a criminal or family court.
Episode two: Communication Needs and Police Interviews with Dr Kate Maras
Dr Katie Maras is Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Deputy Director of the Centre for Applied Autism Research at the University of Bath. Her work focuses on how autistic adults think and communicate differently, and what adaptations service providers can make to accommodate these differences.
Dr Maras is particularly interested in how autistic people fare when they are interviewed by the police as a witness or as a suspect of an alleged offence. We spoke to her about how communication needs can be a barrier to fair access to justice during initial police investigations, and when making statements.
Episode three: Communication Needs and the Criminal Court with Samantha Forsythe
In this episode, we are talking to Samantha Forsyth, a Specialist Criminal Practitioner at No5 Chambers in Birmingham. Samantha has extensive experience of supporting defendants with mental health difficulties. She has spoken at the Supreme Court about the role of intermediaries in England and Wales.
Episode four: Communication Needs and the Family Court with Lucy Reed
Lucy Reed is a Family Barrister, and Author of the Pink Tape legal blog. Lucy has worked at the family bar for more than 15 years, and is committed to helping people to understand what happens in Family Court. She set up her own Pink Tape blog and was also a founder of The Transparency Project.
We spoke to Lucy about how much support there is for respondents with communication needs in the Family Court.
Episode five: Communication Needs in Prison with Christian Boakye and Jacqui Learoyd
Christian Boakye is Speech and Language Therapist at HMP/YOI Feltham, and Jacqui Learoyd is Lead Speech and Language Therapist at HMP Berwyn.
Christian and Jacqui are both passionate about their roles, there is a high prevalence of people with speech, language and communication needs in UK prisons. We spoke to them about how they support prisoners with communication needs, and what more needs to be done to ensure there is fair access to justice.
