08/12/2020
Police Oracle
Work with Offenders looks at the findings from a recent national report
It has been getting harder for people to get to court over the last ten years. Whether you are a lawyer, defendant, witness, victim or jury member, your nearest court is much less likely to be local. The House of Commons Library reported in May this year that 164 magistrates’ courts (out of a total of 320) have been closed since 2010. Nor have the closures ended, there are another 77 planned court closures (including all types of courts and tribunals) before 2026, according to a recent National Audit Office report.
But once you get to court, how accessible is the building if you have a disability or have a baby with you? The Law Firm Bolt, Burdon, Kemp recently published an audit of every courthouse across England, Scotland & Wales. The company used the government’s Court Tribunal Finder to measure 444 courthouses on 11 different factors relating to a variety of accessibility requirements. The findings confirm the out-of-date (not to say dilapidated) conditions of many of our seats of justice. Just one in 50 (2%) met all eleven criteria which are:
Wheelchair access
The research found that just 16% of British courthouses are fully accessible for wheelchair users. There are three main factors that come into play when it comes to accessibility for people in wheelchairs:
The research found that just one courthouse in Scotland meets all three criteria, only 10 courthouses in Wales and just 59 in England. And, of course, none of this takes into account the fact that you may find the toilets or lifts are out of service or that all parking spots have been filled on the day of your court appearance. Some courthouses may also have security gates that are too narrow for most wheelchairs.
Victim/Witness support
Despite all the leading political parties repeating their commitment to “put victims at the centre of the criminal justice system” for several years now, the study found that only 22% of courthouses offer witness care services such as a secure witness suite, access to the Citizens Advice Witness Service, a vulnerable witness waiting area that’s separate from the public waiting area, or a quiet room for people with anxiety and other mental health issues.
While providing witness testimony – or the simple fact that you’re attending court – can be a nerve-wracking experience for anyone, the experience may be compounded for people with mental health issues. A quiet room they can go to for some time alone, such as a separate witness waiting room to help them calm their nerves, can be invaluable in helping ensure people with mental health issues feel as relaxed as possible in court.
However, only 1 out of the 34 courthouses in Wales offers a prayer room or quiet room, while only 9 of the 397 in England offer the same. Similarly, only 9 courthouses in Wales and only 45 courthouses in England offer a witness support suite. It’s imperative that mental health is taken more seriously within the court system to ensure fair treatment for all.
Baby-changing
Even in 2020, more than one in three (36%) of our courthouses lacked baby changing facilities (indeed they were only present in 8% of Scottish courts) For working parents, needing to appear in court means arranging childcare – which can be cost-prohibitive for those on a lower income. For parents who are unable to arrange childcare, unfortunately only 9% of courthouses offer both a baby changing facility and a children’s room for the young ones to wait in while court proceedings take place.
Conclusion
Social media platforms are full of daily feedback from practicing lawyers on the state of our courtrooms – leaking ceilings and out of order toilets – apparently being the most common complaints. Given the fact that the government now only has to maintain half as many courthouses as a decade ago, surely we should expect that they are of decent standard and accessible to all.