The Advocate’s Gateway (TAG) is an independent organisation, overseen by a management committee of lawyers and other professionals, providing free guidance on communicating with vulnerable witnesses and defendants. The toolkits are aimed at legal practitioners and focus on maintaining ethical and professional standards when questioning vulnerable people in justice settings.
This online guide brings together judicial opinions, articles and bibliographies on the role of ‘comfort aids’ in United States courts and in victim-offender mediation. The guide was written by Ken Strutin, who is Director of Legal Information Services at the New York State Defenders Association, and was published in June 2014 on LLRX.com. The aids referred to include toys, human beings and dogs and are usually provided for child witnesses. LLRX.com (Law Library Resource Xchange) is a free online web journal for legal information professionals.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is a Department of the Scottish Executive. It the Scottish department responsible for the prosecution of crime, the investigation of sudden or suspicious deaths, and the investigation of complaints against the police. The site outlines the work of the Service and an interactive map of Scotland provides details of the network of Regional Procurator Fiscal offices supporting each Sheriff Court district. Information is provided for crime victims and witnesses and details are provided about the work of the Victim Information and Advice Service.
