BBK Manifesto 2026: Improve accessibility across the court estate 

For justice to be truly accessible, our courts must be accessible too. Yet for many people with disabilities, attending court still means facing physical and practical barriers that have no place in a modern justice system. Whether attending as a claimant, defendant, witness, juror or legal professional, everyone should be able to participate fully in court proceedings. 

In Bolt Burdon Kemp’s Manifesto for Injured People, we are calling for urgent action to make courts accessible to everyone, including upgraded buildings, training for court staff and publicly available accessibility information. Equal access to justice is a legal right, but for many people with disabilities the reality falls far short of that principle. 

The accessibility crisis continues

In 2020, our research assessed 11 different accessibility criteria across civil and criminal courthouses, including wheelchair access, hearing loops and facilities for assistance dogs. The findings were stark. Just 2% of courthouses met every accessibility requirement, while 84% were not fully accessible for wheelchair users. 

Support for vulnerable court users was also limited. Only 22% of courthouses provided facilities such as secure witness suites, separate waiting areas for vulnerable witnesses, access to the Citizens Advice Witness Service or quiet rooms for people experiencing anxiety and other mental health needs. 

Although our research was conducted several years ago, recent evidence shows these barriers continue to affect people with disabilities using courts today. It’s telling that we have called for better accessibility every year in our Manifesto for Injured People, and progress has still not been made.  

Accessibility barriers remain a daily reality

In June 2026, the BBC highlighted the experiences of a social worker, jurors and a barrister, all of whom were wheelchair users, who described the challenges they faced accessing court buildings and courtrooms. 

Their experiences included inaccessible toilets, disabled parking located a considerable distance from court buildings and courtrooms that could not be accessed, even where the building itself was accessible. 

One juror reported having to leave court through public areas because the designated juror exit could only be reached by stairs. This meant they were forced to come into contact with members of the public and the victims’ families when leaving court. 

These are not isolated inconveniences. They are barriers that can prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in the justice system. 

We also highlighted the human impact of inaccessible courts in our podcast, All Rise, If Able: How Do We Fix the Accessibility Crisis in Our Courts?, where barrister Holly Girven shared her experiences as a court user with a disability. Her experiences demonstrate why accessibility must be treated as a fundamental part of the justice system rather than an afterthought. 

A funding gap with real consequences

Our 2025 Freedom of Information request to HM Courts & Tribunals Service revealed the scale of underinvestment. Over a four-year period, more than £464 million was spent maintaining and upgrading the court estate in England and Wales, yet less than 3.5% of that funding was allocated to improving accessibility. 

Although spending increased in the later years covered by our FOI request, much of it was directed towards lift installations. While lifts are essential, accessibility extends far beyond step-free access. Accessible toilets, hearing loops, clear signage, suitable waiting areas and fully accessible courtrooms are all vital if people with disabilities are to participate equally in the justice system. 

Given only 2% of courts met every accessibility criterion in our research, improving accessibility across the court estate should be a national priority. 

The Ministry of Justice must understand the problem

Perhaps most concerning of all is the Ministry of Justice’s admission to the BBC that information about accessibility facilities at individual courts was not held centrally. 

If the department responsible for the court estate does not have a complete picture of accessibility across its own buildings, it is difficult to see how improvements can be properly planned, prioritised or monitored. Without that information, people with disabilities are left without confidence that courts will meet their access needs before they arrive. 

What needs to change

Equal access to justice cannot exist if court buildings continue to exclude people with disabilities. We are calling for: 

• A national accessibility audit of every court building, with the findings made publicly available. 

• Accurate, comprehensive and regularly updated accessibility information on the Court and Tribunal Finder so people can plan ahead with confidence. 

• Accessibility training for everyone working across the court estate. 

• Ring-fenced funding for accessibility improvements, supported by clear annual targets and transparent public reporting on progress. 

The bottom line

Access to justice is about more than laws and legal procedures. It also depends on whether people can physically access and participate in the justice system. 

Although our research highlighted significant accessibility failings in 2020, recent evidence shows many barriers remain. The Government must now commit to making every court accessible, ensuring people with disabilities are not prevented from participating fully in the justice system because of the buildings they are required to use. 

This blog is part of our 2026/27 Manifesto for Injured People. At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we support injured people not only by winning their cases but by driving positive change. Guided by our clients’ experiences and partnerships with charities across the UK, we are raising awareness of the changes needed to better support injured people. We will continue working with politicians from all parties to ensure injured people’s needs are not overlooked in Westminster or beyond. You can read our full manifesto here.