§ 37. Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training that judges receive on conducting cases in which witnesses have learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [155208]
§ Mr. LockJudicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board, an independent body, chaired by Lord Justice Waller. Training seminars for judges include dedicated sessions or case studies (sometimes both) on disability issues, of which learning disabilities form a part. In addition, all judges are issued with written guidance on all aspects of fair treatment, called the "Equal Treatment Bench Book." A new section of the Bench Book, entitled "Disability" was published in January 2001. This section includes material on learning disabilities and a chapter on the provisions of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 relating to witnesses with learning disabilities.
The Judicial Studies Board keeps the training it provides under continuous review.