Solicitors have hit out at the “degrading” treatment of disabled people at Aberdeen Sheriff Court due to a lift that has been broken since September.
People with mobility issues have found parts of the city centre court building all but inaccessible while engineers attempt to fix the broken lift.
Lawyers have told of the “utter humiliation” suffered by clients who have been left stranded in corridors.
Others have said they told their clients to leave the building completely because they wouldn’t be able to reach upper floor courts.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service today issued an apology over the situation and urged solicitors or anyone else concerned to get in touch so arrangements can be made to allow access.
And one solicitor, who suffers from a chronic disease affecting his mobility, said the problem has made doing his job “very difficult indeed”.
Peter Keene, of Grant Smith Law Practice, said initially the lift was “a little bit broken” and could only be called from certain floors, but then was switched off completely.
He said: “I have a condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which means it’s very difficult for me to climb stairs, especially with a heavy bag full of cases.”
The defence agent explained there had been a long wait for a new part for the lift which didn’t arrive until earlier this month.
‘It’s degrading’
He said: “The engineer turned up and fitted the new part and in doing so discovered a further problem with the lift which needed another new part which is what we’re now waiting for.
“It’s made my job very difficult indeed.
“I take a long time to get up the stairs.
“Quite often courts are calling for me to go and appear and it takes me quite a while not only to get up there but to regain my breath so I can stand up and address the court.”
Mr Keene explained the situation was impacting people’s dignity.
He said: “I’ve had a client who had a witness, his wife, who was in a wheelchair and she was not able to get up the stairs.
“Had it not been for her husband virtually carrying her up the stairs she would have been unable to give evidence on his behalf.
“It is a matter of dignity and, for those who have reduced mobility, I don’t think that the powers that be really think things through from their point of view.”
Within the space of just a few days, Press and Journal reporters observed no less than three pre-trial hearings in which solicitors raised concerns about their client’s ability to access the court building.
‘You would think the one place where you should get equality is in a court’
Defence agent Lynn Bentley, of George Mathers and Co, told one of her clients to leave rather than face the stairs to the courtroom.
Speaking after the hearing, she said: “A client attended on crutches whose case was due to call in an upper floor court and I sent him away because I was not going to ask him to struggle up two flights of stairs.
“I’m aware from one of my colleagues of a client in a wheelchair who can’t get beyond the first level in the building and they were left in a corridor – utter humiliation.
“It’s degrading.
“Even people with minor respiratory problems should not be asked to go up and down the stairs.
“It’s a building that is unfit for purpose and alternative arrangements should have been made by now.”
Fellow solicitor Iain Hingston, of Hingston’s Law, told one hearing the building was “entirely inaccessible to wheelchair users because the lift at the front door and the lift to take people upstairs are broken”.
Kevin Longino, of Deeside Defence, also had a similar situation.
Lawyers urged to ‘discuss this with court officials so they can help’
He told the court: “My client is disabled and can’t walk very far at all.
“Currently this court building is not one that he has much chance of getting into because of the list situation.”
Alex Burn, of Burn and McGregor, branded the situation “demeaning”.
He said: “You need to have some regard for the dignity of people coming to court.
“Surely they’re entitled to the same dignity and access as able-bodied people.
“It is demeaning. It’s outrageous. These are the type of things that should be given some priority.
“In this day and age, we all live in an equal society. You would think the one place where you should get equality is in a court and they’re not being treated properly.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeen Action on Disability, a charity supporting people with sensory or physical disabilities, joined calls for the lifts to be fixed as a matter of priority.
‘Delay has largely been due to acquiring the correct parts’
She said: “We have quite a few clients with those sorts of issues and it is very difficult because they’ve got to go upstairs and, depending on which court they’re in, it could be up two lots of stairs and, if they’re in wheelchairs or on sticks or anything it’s very, very difficult.
“It can be extremely difficult to access older buildings, like the sheriff court.
“It definitely needs to be looked at, especially in today’s day and age where there are a lot more elderly people and disabled people.
“It’s not up to standard.
“It’s time that they pulled their socks up and did something about the disability issue.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said: “We are aware of ongoing issues with a lift at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.
“We are working hard to repair the lift as soon as possible. The delay has largely been due to acquiring the correct parts to fix the lift.
“In the meantime, if we are made aware that someone has mobility issues we can put measures in place to have business call in a more accessible court.
“We would urge solicitors who have concerns in relation to access for themselves or their clients to discuss this with court officials so they can help.”