ABSTRACT
This chapter builds on the reader's knowledge, acquired in Chapter 1, about how crime is defined to offer background information on how the criminal justice system has evolved over time until it developed into the complex legal processes which we have in place in England and Wales today.
The chapter moves to discuss current criminal justice proceedings from the point where a crime is suspected, through to prosecution, sentencing and disposal for both young people and adults. This information allows the reader to understand where future clients may be located on their journey through the criminal justice pathway.
The chapter then explores individual speech, language and communication needs associated with conditions such as learning disability, mental ill-health and neuro-divergence, and how these needs are accommodated by the police, courts and professionals involved. The chapter begins to introduce materials available in the online appendices for use in clinical work and explores the direct and indirect role of the speech and language therapist at different points in the criminal justice pathway.
