Charity calls for for child witness intermediaries
System would make court process less frightening, says Justice for Children
Intermediaries would make Scottish courts fairer for children, according to a leading charity for young people.
In its response to a Scottish Government consultation which closes today, Justice for Children calls for the introduction of a system of intermediaries as a matter of urgency. Intermediaries are trained specialists who relay questions to child witnesses in a way that they understand. They make the court experience less frightening.
Justice for Children - an alliance for reform comprising some 60 organisations and individuals - says that children have problems in understanding questioning in court. An effective system of intermediaries already operates in South Africa, and the alliance believes that a similar system should be introduced in Scotland.
Anne Houston, chair of Justice for Children and chief executive of the charity Children 1st, said: "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."
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