Intermediaries are specialists in communication, provided to children and vulnerable adults to enable them to have a voice in the Criminal Justice System…..in doing so, they give these victims access to justice
Intermediaries have a unique role within the Criminal Justice System that enables them to:
- Use their expertise in communication to work out what people can understand
- Suggest ways to ask questions that will be easily understood
- Assess people’s ability to put their thoughts into words
- Suggest strategies so that people can give evidence and explain what happened clearly and coherently
- Assist people in understanding their trial or tribunal, its results, and in making their choices and opinions known
The simple truth is that - without intermediaries - we would not be able to offer justice to some of the most vulnerable people in our society
Intermediaries use their clinical skills and expertise to assess and address communication barriers linked to mental health challenges, trauma and anxiety. As communication experts, intermediaries believe that best evidence is most likely to be achieved when anxiety and the risk of re-traumatisation are considered. You can find more information on trauma informed practise here.
Without the intermediary, we would not have had a case. Justice was done, thanks to the intermediary scheme