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Professor Penny Cooper

Professor Penny Cooper

Professor Penny Cooper, PhD, is a former practising barrister. She co-founded The Advocate’s Gateway (TAG) in 2012 and trained the first witness intermediaries to support communication with vulnerable witnesses in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Australia. Penny’s research looks at how witnesses participate in hearings. She is an academic associate at 39 Essex Chambers and visiting professor at Birkbeck, University of London.

Articles by this author

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Techniques for questioning vulnerable lay participants

There are vulnerable moments as well as vulnerable people, and hidden vulnerabilities as well as visible ones. So where to start? Research has revealed four guiding principles for ...
13 March 2023
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Ten points of effective participation

What promotes/inhibits participation? Penny Cooper examines a new research study and toolkit for those who guide witnesses’ and parties’ participation – now an increasingly ...
22 January 2021

Vulnerable adults in the Court of Protection

Seeking practitioners’ views: important new research will inform recommendations around best practice, policy change and training in the Court of Protection

19 July 2019
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Therapy animals and ABE

Australia and the United States are increasingly using animals to support effective participation in courts. Will it catch on over here? Professor Penny Cooper explores the issues ...
27 July 2018
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Clear direction

Cross-examination of the vulnerable witness in R v FA: the Court of Appeal takes the ground rules approach and shows what direction such hearings must take, writes Penny ...
26 May 2015
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Bowler as well as umpire

The recent “Victims’ Law” proposals by Sir Keir Starmer QC throw up the suggestion of judge as inquisitor and challenge our adversarial system. Professor Penny Cooper enters the ...
16 June 2014
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Face value

Seeing and Believing? Professor Penny Cooper on observing witness and defendant demeanour On September 16 2013 HHJ Peter Murphy gave a ruling in R v D (R) in relation to the ...
31 October 2013
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Making it meaningful

David Wurtzel and Professor Penny Cooper examine how to ensure the effective participation of vulnerable defendants in a trial On 12 October 2010, Jordan Dixon, along with two ...
31 July 2013
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Re-writing the Victims' Code

Penny Cooper reports on plans to revise the Victims’ Code and enhance entitlements for the vulnerable. In February 2013, Frances Andrade committed suicide a few days after giving ...
30 April 2013
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Barren Lands?

Is the world of legal expert witnesses becoming deserted?  Has Jones v Kaney [2011] UKSC 13, in which the Supreme Court abolished their immunity from actions for breach of duty, ...
31 May 2011
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