Attendance Information, 26th September, 9am - 4pm

1. In person:

The Bridge, 73-81Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0NG

2. Virtually by zoom

The IfJ Conference and AGM is free for members. If you are not a member and would like to join, we warmly welcome you. For non-members the conference fee is £80, and this gives you a years free membership to IfJ. Please contact us once you have booked your place and we will setup your membership. If you need any assistance or have any questions please contact admin@intermediaries-for-justice.org

Timetable

• 9:00 Arrival and Registration

• 9.15-9.25 Opening Welcome to Conference and AGM:  Catherine O’Neil

• 9.25-10.00 Case Presentation 1: Rukiya Stein ‘Innovation Within Limitations: Australia's First Defendant Intermediary Appointments in the New South Wales Criminal Justice System’

The witness intermediary scheme in New South Wales, Australia, commenced in April 2016 under the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Pilot (now a Program; CSOEP), providing legislative support for intermediary assistance exclusively for child and adolescent complainants and witnesses in prescribed sexual offences. This narrow legislative framework excludes adult witnesses and defendants with disabilities. Given the over-representation of defendants with speech, language and communication needs—many of whom have cognitive disabilities—in the Australian criminal justice system, this legislative exclusion represents a critical barrier to procedural fairness. In the absence of specific adult intermediary legislation, several groundbreaking appointments have occurred in NSW.

This presentation will examine these pioneering case studies, exploring the appointment processes, the legislative frameworks utilised in the absence of specific adult intermediary legislation, and my direct experience working with vulnerable defendants in this emerging area of Australian intermediary practice. These cases provide unique insights into the practical implementation of intermediary support for adults with disabilities and highlight both the possibilities and limitations of current approaches to ensuring equitable participation in criminal proceedings.

• 10.00-10.35 Presentation 1: Judge Statman 'The deckchair man, the intermediary and the judge'

This presentation will include:

• The preparation of intermediary reports
• S28 and the preparation of questions to be asked in cross examination
• The vexed issue of the presence of an intermediary for the whole trial as opposed to assisting a defendant in the course of his/her evidence
• Pre trial visits by vulnerable children/witnesses to court and in particular meeting the judge
• Continuity of intermediary, counsel and judge
• Choice of special measure
• What impact back to back work trying grave crime has on the judge
• What to do when it all goes wrong

- 10.35-10.50 break -

• 10.50-11.50 AGM and Election of Officers

- 11.50-12.40 lunch (networking zoom rooms option for those who wish) - 

• 12.40-13.15 Presentation 2: Lucy Barnes (Lawyers Who Care) 'Communication barriers are barriers to justice: The importance of communication and intermediaries in the family courts' 

This presentation will include: 

• The importance of effective communication for vulnerable people, with emphasis on the care-experienced and neurodivergent communities (of which I am a part of both)
• The judgment of Re M;
• How, when 'necessary to achieve a fair hearing', intermediaries can support access to justice, especially in relation to trauma and neurodivergence.
• I will also speak on the important trauma-informed principles and training and ways to authentically connect with, and support, care-experienced people/people with experience of the care system.

• 13.15-13.50 Presentation 3: Audrey Mogan (Barrister)

'Vulnerable defendants: Key principles and early applications for intermediaries in the criminal courts.' 

This presentation will include:

• the key principles arising out of case law concerning the need for intermediaries in criminal trials
• hurdles to applications and working together with counsel, particularly where you are dealing with youth defendants, victims of trafficking and other highly vulnerable people

- 13.50-14.05 Break 

• 14.05-14.40 Case Presentation 2: Dr Kimberly Collins ‘Facilitating the communication of pre school children during forensic interviews’

In this presentation Dr Collins will reflect on her experiences as a Registered Intermediary, academic and expert witness on what she views as the biggest barriers to effective communication with pre school children during forensic interviews, and how to overcome these barriers. She will briefly explain her ‘building blocks of communication’ framework and how she applies this to practice with very young children. The explanation of the framework will be supported with reference to case examples.

• 14.40- 15.15 Group Discussions facilitated by Jennifer Beaumont: Please bring your favourite visual resources to show in small group discussions or within break out rooms and inspire colleagues.

- 15.15-15.25 - break 

• 15.25-16.00 Presentation 4: An Introduction to the Fitness to Practise journey

In this session Jason will provide an introduction to fitness to practise proceedings at Social Work England, giving a brief overview of workings of professional regulation and the potential for intermediary use in them. This is an emerging area of interest as regulator seek innovative methods to improve the support offered and learn from other jurisdictions.

• 16.00 Close