Title page
Contents
Acknowledgements 3
Executive Summary 7
Methods 7
Key findings 8
Introduction 11
Background 11
Piloting Section 28 12
Evaluating Section 28 and wider rollout 12
Process evaluation 14
Methodology 15
Ethics 18
Limitations 19
Practitioner interview findings 21
Perceived witness experience - benefits of Section 28 21
Perceived witness experience - disadvantages of Section 28 23
Reasons for and against take-up 25
Perceived impact on criminal justice system practitioner workloads 26
Perceived impact on court resources 28
Perceived impact across justice outcomes 29
Practitioner views on wider rollout 32
Improvements suggested by practitioners 33
Witness interviews 36
Information and decision-making 36
Preparing to give evidence 39
Giving evidence 44
Discussion 58
Conclusion and considerations 61
References 63
Annex A. Judiciary response 65
Annex B. Practitioner topic guide 71
Annex C. Witness interviews topic guide 75
Annex D. Achieved sample of witness interviews 90
Annex E. Implications of Covid-19 93
Table 1. Practitioner profession break down 16
Annex Tables
Table D.1. Participant characteristics 90
Table D.2. Criminal justice journey characteristics 91