All rise, if able: How do we fix the accessibility crisis in our courts?

In this episode, Jonathan Wheeler, Managing Partner at BBK, speaks with Holly Girven, a barrister at Farrar’s Building. The pair discuss the accessibility of our courts and in particular Holly’s experience as a barrister and a wheelchair user.

BBK conducted research in 2020 showing that only 2% of British courthouses are fully accessible to wheelchair users. Since then, we have been lobbying the Government for better accessibility across the court estate.

In this episode, we recognise the financial pressures the Government is under and the age of the buildings that make up our court estate. Despite these challenges, Holly and Jonathan suggest quick wins that the Government could implement in the meantime before more expensive structural work is done.

This podcast is part of our BBK Manifesto. Our manifesto proposes ten key areas that need to be prioritised by politicians. This has been informed by our client’s experiences and our partnerships with charities that support our clients and others like them.

If you would like to read more about our manifesto you can do so here and you can click here to read the manifesto in full. You can also read Jonathan’s blog on court accessibility here.