Disabled people’s lived experiences of access to justice and the criminal justice system in the UK

This chapter summarises the existing evidence on how disabled people experience the (criminal) justice system in the UK. It becomes apparent that the criminal justice system, including its legal and rules-based norms, appears difficult to navigate for people with learning difficulties, mental health conditions and autism. There are unique communication barriers faced by deaf people at all points in the system, from contacting the police, giving evidence, or appearing in court, to prisons. There is little research concerning the experience of people with physical impairments and none reporting on the experiences of those with visual impairments. Researchers tend to focus on the experiences of single impairment groups and often in specific settings, resulting in a compartmentalised and scattered body of knowledge, which cannot effectively capture the extent of disabling barriers and solutions in creating an inclusive justice system. More studies report on the experiences of males than females. Considerations about other intersecting aspects of identity are mostly absent. The evidence is biased towards exposing barriers. This may lead to the conclusion that legal obligations are often not met, but more research is needed to expose areas of greatest need, as well as pockets of good practice and solutions that work across the sector.