Better the second time around? Department of Justice Registered Intermediaries Schemes and lessons from England and Wales

Abstract

In 2012 the Department of Justice (DoJ) Northern Ireland recruited and trained a cohort of Registered Intermediaries in preparation for the commencement in 2013 of pilot schemes to assist vulnerable witnesses and defendants to communicate their evidence. This article reviews the history of intermediaries and critically analyses the lessons learnt from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Witness Intermediary Scheme (WIS) operating in England and Wales over the last decade. It compares the schemes which, though similar, are distinct and significantly different in respect of defendants and suggests what more is required in Northern Ireland in order to support the introduction of Registered Intermediaries.