News
Call to give children a better deal in court
16/01/2008
As part of the UK-wide Justice for Children alliance, CHILDREN 1ST is calling on the Scottish Government to make courts fairer for children by introducing intermediaries as a matter of urgency.
In its response to a Scottish Government consultation which closed on 15 January, Justice for Children has highlighted the problems that children have in understanding questioning in court.
Intermediaries are trained specialists who relay questions to child witnesses in a way that they understand. This enables the child to answer confidently and correctly, and makes the court experience less frightening. An effective system of intermediaries already operates in South Africa, and Justice for Children believes that it is now time to introduce a similar system within the Scottish judicial system. This will make sure that children in Scotland can give their best evidence.
Anne Houston, chair of the Justice for Children alliance, and chief executive of CHILDREN 1ST, said: "Being questioned in court is intimidating and often confusing for adults, so imagine how a child must feel.
This is made even worse by the fact that often these children have already experienced abuse and trauma in their young lives. Intermediaries would make the court experience much better for children and would help them to give their best evidence - which has to be a good thing. That is why we have asked the Scottish Government to introduce intermediaries without delay."
Justice for Children was established in 2001 due to strong lay and professional concern that the interests of children should be compatible with, and indeed enhanced by, the Scottish Justice system. The Justice for Children Child Witness Reform Group comprises some 60 organisations and individuals, including CHILDREN 1ST, ChildLine Scotland and the Scottish Child Law Centre.
Media Contact: Anita Elizar, Communications Manager, tel: 0131 446 2330.
Last updated: 11/04/2009
