Court service honoured at special event

Our new dedicated court service at Winchester Crown Court was recognised with a special event last month.

The Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion (CJLD) service supports vulnerable people within the criminal justice system.

Based within the court, Advanced Practitioner and Court Lead, Carrie Ord, assesses and supports vulnerable suspects, including people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, communication difficulties and those who may be suffering exploitation and abuse. She creates specialist reports to help inform the criminal justice process and ensures that suspects’ vulnerabilities are considered appropriately. The service helps to address factors that may have contributed to the person’s arrest, with the aim of reducing future offending.

Speaking at the event, His Honour Judge Cutler CBE, said: “The service provides a really important way to be able to identify issues. I am a very pleased and proud judge to have CJLD here in court.”