CASE STUDY The role of Communication Partners


A Communication Partner attended a pre-trial meeting to assist a solicitor with a client who was described as having difficulty understanding spoken language and expressing himself. He also had a significant vision impairment and cognitive issues.


The Communication Partner’s observations and recommendations assisted the solicitor to communicate in ways that enabled the client to provide clear evidence. These recommendations included understanding that the client’s visual impairment reduced his capacity to make eye contact and that he may shift his head from side to side to see people and objects. Adequate lighting and close proximity to people asking questions would be important in any legal meeting or courtroom. He required simple, short questions containing only one idea, and even straightforward legal terms such as ‘file’, ‘hearing’, ‘charges’, ‘alleged’ required short and simple explanations.


It was advised to check that the client understood ‘yes/no’ questions by saying “What do you understand that to mean?” Large Post-it notes were used to reference each event, so that the client could move them around to create a sequential narrative.


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