In England and Wales, 98% of criminal cases are dealt with by the Magistrates Court, and are heard in front of Magistrates. Traditionally in the UK it has been said that Deaf people cannot serve as Magistrates, Judges or Jurors because interpreters will not be able to convey the full nusances of a court room. [...]
Extracted from the Crown Prosecution Service website … A witness who is deaf or hard of hearing may require the services of a qualified Sign Language Interpreter or, for those who do not know or use sign language, a Lipspeaker in order to give their evidence at court. Only registered Sign Language Interpreters or Lipspeakers [...]
Yesterday’s Sunday papers carried articles relating to the possible introduction of Lie Detector Tests in the UK, and their contribution to sentencing in the UK, especially in relation to paedophiles. Whilst any measures in this area have to be welcomed, and respect given to the welfare of children, I wonder how Deaf people could be [...]