Registered intermediaries’ assessment of children’s communication: An exploration of aims and processes

Following the implementation of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 for England and Wales, Registered Intermediaries have been available to assist child witness communication in legal proceedings since 2004. Registered Intermediaries are given training to fulfil this role. However, their assessments and practices are conducted independently. This study examined Registered Intermediaries’ perceptions and experiences of this independent practice, and the impact this had on the quality of the legal process in terms of evidential quality, child witness experiences and engagement. Seventeen experienced and currently active Registered Intermediaries with a range of communication specialisms took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Six main themes emerged from the data: assessment constraints and requirements, essential elements of the assessment process, why the assessment process is effective, ensuring recommendations are followed through, pressures and barriers, and practice development. The Registered Intermediaries stressed the need for further training for themselves as well as for legal professionals, and emphasised the benefits of working as a team throughout the assessment and legal process.

Better the second time around? Department of Justice Registered Intermediaries Schemes and lessons from England and Wales

In 2012 the Department of Justice (DoJ) Northern Ireland recruited and trained a cohort of Registered Intermediaries in preparation for the commencement in 2013 of pilot schemes to assist vulnerable witnesses and defendants to communicate their evidence. This article reviews the history of intermediaries and critically analyses the lessons learnt from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Witness Intermediary Scheme (WIS) operating in England and Wales over the last decade. It compares the schemes which, though similar, are distinct and significantly different in respect of defendants and suggests what more is required in Northern Ireland in order to support the introduction of Registered Intermediaries.

Development of the Regulation of Insurance Intermediaries in the Czech Republic

In the insurance market, various distribution channels can be selected to distribute an insurance coverage. The selection of those channels depend on many factors and specific criteria. The insurance intermediaries represent the main channel for external distribution channels (also called the intermediary channel). The aim of this article is to summarise the legal regulation of insurance intermediaries and to show changes in the development of registered intermediaries.