Using this website
The Lay Observers are responsible for the content of this website. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the technical aspects.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts
- zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate the website using just a keyboard
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
What to do if you can’t access part of this website
If you need information on this website in a different format, you can contact us:
Lay Observer Secretariat
3rd Floor, Post Point 2
10 South Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PU
Email: layobservers@justice.gov.uk
Reporting accessibility problems
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page or think we’re not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, contact wordpress@digital.justice.gov.uk giving details of the issue and any assistive technology you are using.
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the accessibility regulations. If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The Ministry of Justice is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliance issues listed below.
Non accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non compliance with the accessibility regulations
- Some links in the news area do not include a meaningful description of their destination. This fails WCAG 2.4.4 A (Link Purpose).
- Some PDF documents published after 23 September 2018 may not be accessible. Headings, list items and paragraphs may not be recognised by a screen reader. This fails WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.3.1 (info and relationships).
Disproportionate burden
Not applicable.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
We know that some of our older documents (published before 23 September 2018) are not accessible.
Many documents are not accessible in a number of ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure.
How we tested this website
We have completed accessibility checks using keyboard testing and the WAVE automated testing tool. The tests on the website were carried out by the Ministry of Justice.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We will monitor the accessibility of this website on an on-going basis and fix any accessibility issues reported to us.
This statement was prepared on 27 November 2023.