Scottish disability groups hope to get more disabled people involved in the justice system there

From The Guardian in the UK:

Disability groups in talks with police, jails and crown service to more fully involve disabled people in Scottish justice system.

A unique partnership has been launched between Scotland's legal sector and disability organisations to try to improve access to the justice system for people with disabilities.

The launch follows a survey which found that in Scotland 40% of disabled people and their carers did not believe they had equal access to the justice system

The initiative, the first of its kind in the UK, brings together public sector bodies – including the police, prison service, crown service and Scottish government – for a series of consultations aiming to improve access to the justice system for those with disabilities and involve them more in policy-making. It will culminate in a national conference in November.

The partnership is being co-ordinated by Capability Scotland, which found in its survey that 42% of disabled people had had direct experience of the justice system, most of them (38%) as victims of a crime. One in 10 had been involved in a tribunal of some form.

Scotland's justice minister, Kenny MacAskill, said the study shows too many disabled people felt they did not have proper access to the justice system, whether as a member of a jury, victim of a crime, or someone with a legal issue that needed to be addressed.

"We want to make sure every individual in Scotland can have, and believe they can have, access to justice when they need it," he said. "This survey shows that too many disabled people feel that they do not. I believe the new partnership will help all of the organisations involved work together to identify and improve the system and increase the confidence disabled people have in justice."

Richard Hamer, of Capability Scotland, said the first consultation, held this week in Edinburgh, had revealed concern over a range of subjects, including physical access to courts, fair treatment as victims, witnesses and offenders, and a lack of awareness and publicity about laws and services that apply to disabled people.

"Some of it was what the group of justice organisations had expected, such as physical access," Hamer said. "But what came out as well was slightly tangential to that, about how disabled people can get that first line of diagnostic advice."

Hamer said the underlying message was that disabled people must be taken seriously across the justice sector.

"There's this tendency to think, 'Those poor disabled people.' What this is about is disabled people saying we want to be witnesses, victims, offenders, jurors and judges, and it's not really possible at the moment."

One of those involved in the discussions, Eileen Brunton, a wheelchair user, told how she was unable to perform jury service at the high court in Edinburgh because, although there was wheelchair access to the court building, she was unable to get into the jury box.

"It was frustrating for everyone involved that I couldn't perform jury service – both the lawyers and the staff at the Scottish court service where I went to collect my expenses were very supportive and certainly disappointed on my behalf," she said.

"There is clearly the desire to make courts accessible, but perhaps this will mean having to move out of antiquated buildings. I hope that the consultation events will help us find a solution to problems like this."