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Brief Report: Autism in the Courtroom: Experiences of Legal Professionals and the Autism Community

Maras, KL; Crane, L; Mulcahy, S; Hawken, T; Cooper, P; Wurtzel, D; Memon, A; (2017) Brief Report: Autism in the Courtroom: Experiences of Legal Professionals and the Autism Community. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders , 47 (8) pp. 2610-2620. 10.1007/s10803-017-3162-9. Green open access

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Abstract

Online surveys were used to sample the views of judges, barristers and solicitors (n = 33) about their engagement with autistic individuals in criminal courts in England and Wales. Despite an understanding of some of the difficulties experienced by individuals with autism, and the adjustments suitable for supporting them, legal professionals reported constraints arising from a lack of understanding by others within the criminal justice system. These results are considered alongside the views and perspectives of autistic adults (n = 9) and parents of children on the autism spectrum (n = 19), who had encountered the criminal courts as witnesses or defendants and were largely dissatisfied with their experiences. Training, understanding and the provision of appropriate adjustments were identified as key issues by all respondent groups.

Type: Article
Title: Brief Report: Autism in the Courtroom: Experiences of Legal Professionals and the Autism Community
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3162-9
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3162-9
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Autism, Courts, Criminal justice, Disability, Law, Solicitors
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1555521
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