VULNERABLE WITNESSES AND PARTIES WITHIN CIVIL PROCEEDINGS CURRENT POSITION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE FEBRUARY 2020 Page 0 of 155 Page 1 of 155 Contents Section 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4 Section 2 - The scope of vulnerability in civil cases...................................................................................... 9 Section 3 - The nature and extent of assistance that is currently provided .............................................. 17 Vulnerability and the criminal courts ................................................................................................... 17 Vulnerability and the family courts ...................................................................................................... 26 Vulnerability and the civil courts .......................................................................................................... 41 The overriding objective ...................................................................................................................... 43 Court documents/forms and online procedures ................................................................................. 45 Evidence ............................................................................................................................................... 47 Depositions .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Video link ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Litigants in person................................................................................................................................ 49 Interpreters .......................................................................................................................................... 53 Intermediaries ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Assessors .............................................................................................................................................. 56 Hearings in private ............................................................................................................................... 58 Use of technology and other assistance .............................................................................................. 59 Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 59 Section 4 - Sources of information, guidance and/or training ................................................................... 61 The Equal Treatment Bench Book ........................................................................................................ 61 The Advocates Gateway ....................................................................................................................... 62 Judicial training ..................................................................................................................................... 63 Section 5 - Are additional measures needed within the civil jurisdiction? ................................................ 65 The need for changes to the Civil Procedure Rules ............................................................................. 66 Should there be a definition of vulnerability? ..................................................................................... 70 Automatic qualification as vulnerable ................................................................................................. 75 Amending the overriding objective ...................................................................................................... 76 A new practice direction ...................................................................................................................... 77 Case Management ................................................................................................................................ 78 Sexual or other assault/abuse cases ................................................................................................... 79 Ground rules for oral evidence ............................................................................................................ 80 Prohibiting cross-examination by a self-representing party ............................................................... 82 Page 2 of 155 Conduct of a hearing ............................................................................................................................ 88 Legal representatives ........................................................................................................................... 88 Costs issues ........................................................................................................................................... 89 Proportionality assessments ............................................................................................................... 93 Mediation ............................................................................................................................................. 95 The reform programme ........................................................................................................................ 99 Raising/identifying vulnerability ........................................................................................................ 105 Capturing data .................................................................................................................................... 105 Judicial Training .................................................................................................................................. 106 Practical assistance before, during and after hearings ...................................................................... 108 Court facilities ..................................................................................................................................... 110 Assisted Digital ................................................................................................................................... 114 Court Protocols and information for Court users .............................................................................. 115 Section 6 - Compensation orders ............................................................................................................. 119 Section 7 – Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 125 Annexe 1 - Extract from the consultation on the preliminary report ...................................................... 132 Annexe 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 135 Annexe 3 - A summary of the responses to the consultation paper ....................................................... 136 Annexe 4 - Example of vulnerable witness protocol ................................................................................ 149 Page 3 of 155 Section 1 - Introduction 1. Access to justice, just procedures and fair hearings are essential elements of our justice system. To ensure the system works properly such elements need to cater for parties and witnesses, who by reason of mental or physical disability/disorder, impairment of intellectual or social functioning, fear or distress, or other reason, are vulnerable such that their ability to participate in proceedings, or to give their best evidence, may be impaired. 2. More than twenty years ago attention became focused on the need to address the issues faced by 1 vulnerable witnesses before the criminal courts and in 1999 the Youth and Criminal Justice Act set out the structure to enable adequate assistance and protection that is not only still in force but used on a daily basis in criminal courts. By 2014/15 the President of the Family Division noted the issues faced by vulnerable witnesses and parties in the family courts and stated that family law was 2 “lagging woefully behind criminal law” and set up a working party. Wider appreciation grew amongst the Judiciary and professional bodies that issues such as the nature and extent of ques- tioning of vulnerable witnesses needed to be evaluated and changes made; including through be- 3 4 spoke training. As Mr Justice Green stated in December 2015; “...how the courts treat those who are exposed and weak is a barometer of our moral worth as a society. Many of those we encounter in the criminal and family courts are from troubled back- 5 grounds and have suffered a lifetime of disadvantage, prejudice and abuse.” 3. In 2017, following detailed analysis by the working party, the Family Procedure Rules were amended to make specific provision for vulnerable parties and witnesses. 6 4. Since 1999 the Civil Procedure Rules allow the use of many of the methods/forms of assistance and protection for vulnerable parties and witnesses used in the criminal and family courts. However, there is no specific rule in relation to vulnerable witnesses/parties and the existing rules have been 1 See