A study by the Prison Reform Trust has labelled the justice system "unwieldy and opaque" when it comes to vulnerable children and adults, meaning they have to fend for themselves.
The report, Vulnerable Defendants in the Criminal Courts, recommends:
Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "There is nothing fair about a system where things are not explained or understood and vulnerable people are not represented or protected.
"A single high profile miscarriage of justice catches the headlines but literally thousands of children and people with learning disabilities are ill served by a system that does not take account of their needs."
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