legal proceedings

Achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings: guidance for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children: volume 1

The Government is committed to improving the protection during the criminal justice process for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children. This document is issued as part of ‘Action for Justice’, the implementation programme for the ‘Speaking Up for Justice’ report. Following the report, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 set out a range of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children to give their best evidence in criminal proceedings.

Measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses in the criminal justice system

In June 1998 the Government published “Speaking up for Justice”, a report of an Interdepartmental Working Group on the treatment of Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System. It proposed a coherent and integrated scheme to provide appropriate support and assistance for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses. This is a summary report of the key recommendations, legislation and implementation.

Provision of therapy for vulnerableor intimidated adult witnesses prior to a criminal trial : practice guidance

The Department of Health, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office have worked together to produce this practice guidance. The guidance is issued as part of the Home Office led Action for Justice programme, which said that good practice guidance on the provision of therapy prior to trial for vulnerable or intimidated adult witnesses would be issued.

Achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings: guidance for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children - Volume 2

The government is committed to improving the protection during the criminal justice process for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children. This document is issued as part of ‘Action for Justice’, the implementation programme for the ‘Speaking Up for Justice’ report. Following the report, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 set out a range of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, including children to give their best evidence in criminal proceedings.

The role of safeguarders in Scotland

Safeguarders are persons who may be appointed by children’s hearings or sheriffs when they think this is required to safeguard the interests of the child in the proceedings. Their role is to provide support and advice for the proceedings.

The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate the current use and operation of safeguarders in Scotland.

Access to justice: evidence of the experiences of adults with mental health problems

This is the report of a systematic review that was undertaken to investigate how adults with mental health problems experience civil, family and criminal justice. The findings are presented and discussed under the following headings: associations and characteristics of adults with mental health problems; services and agencies accessed by adults with mental health problems and their effectiveness; experiences, barriers and potential barriers to accessing justice for adults with mental health problems.

Vulnerable witnesses: a police service guide

The Government is committed to improving the treatment of victims of crime. This document is issued as part of Action for Justice, the implementation programme for Speaking up for Justice, the report of the interdepartmental review of vulnerable or intimidated witnesses. That report made a series of recommendations covering the investigation through to the trial and beyond, with the aim of assisting vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to give their best evidence.