Access to Justice for People with Disabilities as Victims of Crime in Ireland

Key Findings

There are three main stages for victims in the criminal justice system

  • reporting the crime
  • accessing justice through the courts
  • experiences after the trial

The international evidence is that people with disabilities experience barriers at all three stages.

These may be

Structural barriers - how the different systems relate to each other. Who takes responsibility for supporting victims with a disability

Procedural barriers - it can be hard to navigate a complex legal system

Attitude barriers - key actors may have negative assumptions about the capacity of people with disabilities

Specifically Irish findings are that

  • The criminal justice system can be intimidating to a person with a disability
  • Gardai need to have the know-how to deliver disability-friendly services
  • Garda stations and courthouses may not be accessible to a person with a disability
  • The attitudes of judges and barristers is crucial. The assumption may be there that people with disabilities are not competent or credible witnesses
  • People with disabilities may be 'invisible' in the system because there is no systematic data collection on this aspect

Access to Justice for People with Disabilities as Victims of Crime in Ireland

Page last updated: 01/22/2013