Summary
Guidance for judges in England and Wales on the fair treatment of people in courts and tribunals, with a section on adjustments for people with hearing loss.
Key findings
- States that hearing rooms should be fitted with an induction loop, which should also be fitted in reception areas, and that a loop may help a deaf person hear better or lip-read with some background support.
- Before the hearing, advises checking the person's preferred way of communicating, choosing a quiet room with good lighting and checking that the induction loop is working.
- Notes that a witness may bring an aid the judge does not know, such as an external microphone that connects wirelessly to a hearing aid, and that the judge may need to ask how it works "in the spirit of constructive dialogue".
- Lists other adjustments: speech-to-text reporters, lip speakers, sign language interpreters, seating with good sight lines and light on speakers' faces, and extra breaks.
Limits
Guidance for the judiciary, not a design standard: it names loops only and sets no performance requirements, and its prevalence figures come from Action on Hearing Loss. Dated from the judiciary's page announcing the February 2026 update.
Read the original
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book.pdf
Cited in
- What works in courtrooms, council chambers and other meeting rooms where speech must be heard by all and kept in the room?Partly answered
Cite this source
Judicial College. Equal Treatment Bench Book (July 2024 edition, February 2026 update): hearing loss and deafness. Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (judiciary.uk). 26 February 2026. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Equal-Treatment-Bench-Book.pdf (accessed 9 October 2026).
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