Marking the conclusion of a landmark equality project in Scotland, the final report of the Criminal Justice Disability Project (CJDP) was published on 31 July 2018.

Established as a bespoke project team by the Justice Board’s Criminal Equality & Diversity subgroup in June 2013, the CJDP brought together representatives from the following seven criminal justice organisations to progress the Scottish Government’s equality and diversity agenda:

• Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service
• Police Scotland
• Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service
• Scottish Prison Service
• Scottish Legal Aid Board
• The Law Society of Scotland
• The Scottish Government

Tasked to promote and enable accessibility of service across the criminal justice sector in Scotland for people with disabilities, the CJDP was asked to consider concerns and issues raised in a number reports – Hidden in Plain Sight, Out in the Open and the Justice Disability Steering Group Report (2009) – and how the 76 criminal justice recommendations could be addressed by the team across the sector.

In its final report, the CJDP details the progress made by its team over the last four years in improving access to justice in criminal cases in Scotland for people with disabilities, evidencing that as a result of its work, many of the report’s recommendations have been implemented and new products developed, which are now in use across the criminal justice sector, including:

• Joint communications protocols for campaigns across criminal justice
• A site audit template
• Posters highlighting accessible services
• Support packs for staff to help them provide better services
• Updated organisational websites to reflect facilities on offer at each site
• Multiple publication formats including BSL translations and Easy Read formats
• New hearing loop systems in some facilities
• Assurances on the use of handcuffs on accused persons whose first language is British Sign Language
• Provision of deaf awareness training for staff in criminal justice organisations
• Instructions on the appropriate use of the disability hate crime aggravator
• A common complaints procedure in Easy Read format
• Assurances that disabled staff have effective support at work
• Hate crime statistical reports reviewed
• Guidance for use of video conferencing facilities for meetings to ensure inclusion of those with a disability

You can view the CJDP’s ‘Criminal Justice Disability Project’s Final Report: Executive Summary’ in BSL video format here.

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