You can't judge a book by its cover: evolving professional responsibilities, liabilities and 'judgecraft' when a party has Asperger's Syndrome

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Penny Cooper
Clare Allely

Keywords

Asperger's syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, defendant, courts, ; judgecraft, fair hearing, judges, lawyers, responsibilities, liabilities

Abstract

In the context of increasing legal emphasis on fairness for people with disability, this article analyses the responsibilities and liabilities of lawyers in relation to the recognition and identification of client disability, and specifically Asperger's Syndrome, prior to a hearing. This article also analyses the judge's responsibilities when a party has Asperger's Syndrome. Lord Justice Gillen's seven points of principle and practical guidance for fair hearings when a party has a disability (Galo v Bombardier Aerospace UK) are used as a framework to explore the art of judging, or 'judgecraft'.

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