Throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland intermediaries can be found enabling communication across the full range of court jurisdictions within the justice system:
- with police during interviews
- with solicitors, barristers, judges and magistrates in courts
Intermediaries are often asked to work in new and flexible ways to make sure that communication is clear, for example, supporting meetings with other professional colleagues, such as the probation service, or working with the Witness Service to make sure that people understand what might happen if they have to go to court.
Intermediaries can be registered and non-registered.
- Registered intermediaries are selected, trained, accredited and regulated by the Ministry of Justice (England and Wales) or the Department of Justice (Northern Ireland).
- Non-registered intermediaries (may also be known as independent intermediaries) are selected, trained and accredited by independent organisations.
In England and Wales
- Registered intermediaries facilitate communication for vulnerable victims and witnesses in Crown Prosecution cases.
- Independent/non-registered intermediaries facilitate communication for vulnerable people who are:
- suspects or defendants in Criminal Prosecution cases
- participants in Family Court cases
- participants in Tribunals or Hearings
In Northern Ireland
- Registered intermediaries facilitate communication for victims, witnesses, suspects and defendants.
Internationally there are a range of established and developing intermediary scheme.
Without the intermediary, we would not have had a case. Justice was done, thanks to the intermediary scheme