Law: Disabled denied justice

People with learning disabilities are being failed by the British justice system, according to a new study published today.

Mencap, the mental health charity, claims people with learning disabilities are not being treated fairly by the law, often because they are not regarded as credible witnesses. It means that some allegations of serious crime are never properly examined by the courts.

The study, Barriers to Justice, found 96 per cent of barristers were not trained on learning disability, although 76 per cent had represented a client with a difficulty. Just over a third of police officers had received some training, but 71 per cent of police thought it had not helped them in dealing with people with learning disabilities. -Louise Jury