The Ministry of Justice has been left red-faced after suggesting to disabled people they were guilty until proven innocent.
Published in a leaflet designed to be an "easy read" for defendants in criminal trials, complete with an accompanying sketch, the brochure said: “If you say you did not do the crime, you may have to go back to the court on a different day, to show the court you did not do the crime."
Government officials have been forced to remove the material from the MoJ's website after scathing criticism from senior barrister Mukul Chawla QC, who rubbished the brochure as "nonsense".
Credit: Twitter/ @MChawlaQC
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told The Independent: "Easy read guides are an important way of providing information to people in simple and straightforward language. It is crucial to ensure these documents are precise and as helpful as possible.
“We are reviewing this guide and will remove it from our website while this process takes place.”