4.2 What are special measures?

Special measures are adaptations, concessions or arrangements made by the family court to assist a vulnerable person to participate in proceedings or to give evidence at a hearing.

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Activity 1

Can you think of any cases where your client has been vulnerable or frightened?

What, if anything, did the court do to assist the client to take part in the hearing?

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You may have already been involved in cases which involved special measures, or you may not yet come across this as a volunteer. Understanding why special measures are put in place, when they can be used and what arrangements can be made will help you support clients better to participate in their court proceedings. We will go on to look at the wide range of special measures which can be put into place in the next section.

4.1 Introduction

4.3 What special measures can be put into place?