New schemes for vulnerable victims, witnesses and defendants

The ‘Registered Intermediaries Schemes’ pilot will begin in Belfast Crown Court in April 2013 and today the Department of Justice has launched a recruitment campaign for 12 Registered Intermediaries.

The role of a Registered Intermediary will be to assist victims, witnesses and defendants who may find it difficult to understand questions asked of them, and to help communicate their answers more effectively during a police investigation or when giving evidence at trial.

The development is part of the Minister’s commitment to reform the justice system and provide support for vulnerable people where it is needed most.

David Ford said: “All possible steps should be taken to help those who are vulnerable to have access to fairer justice. Earlier this year I published ‘A Guide to Achieving Best Evidence’ for practitioners involved in interviewing vulnerable witnesses and I have continued to explore other avenues to assist vulnerable victims, witnesses and defendants.

“The post of ‘Registered Intermediary’ will be a challenging but vital new role in aiding victims, witnesses and defendants to fully understand the criminal justice process. Registered Intermediaries will work closely with victims, witnesses, defendants and criminal justice professionals, sometimes in emotionally stressful and high-profile cases.

“This is a unique opportunity for professionals who have a specialism in communication to make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable persons, and to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of our criminal justice system. I would encourage all those who have the requisite skills and experience to apply to become Registered Intermediaries.”

This role may be of interest to people from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, social work, the mental health professions, counselling, teaching or nursing.