Defendant Intermediaries in the Criminal Justice System: Is Northern Ireland Leading the Way?

‘I was flying blind a wee bit’: Professionals’ perspectives on challenges facing communication assistance in the New Zealand youth justice system

“…This has mainly been an issue for suspects and defendants, rather than witnesses whose sole role is to give evidence. The main query for both jurisdictions has been whether vulnerable suspects require intermediary assistance in police interviews, and if the matter proceeds to trial, whether assistance should be provided to defendants to assist them to understand proceedings and give evidence (Bevan, 2018; Department of Justice (Northern Ireland), 2015; Hoyano and Rafferty, 2017; Taggart, 2018). In Northern Ireland, for example, the Department of Justice has concluded that intermediaries are only necessary for vulnerable defendants during the giving of oral evidence (Department of Justice (Northern Ireland), 2015).…”