Intermediaries for Justice, UK
- Working with Defendants
- Working with Pre-school Children
- Trauma-Informed Practice
- Intermediaries in Parole Board Oral Hearings
- Intermediaries in Fitness to Practice Regulatory Proceedings
Dr. Rukiya Stein
PhD (Law), M.A. (Speech and Language Pathology)
Bridging clinical expertise and legal practice
My work sits at the intersection of speech-language pathology, intermediary practice and legal research, with a focus on practical communication access in the justice process.
I support legal systems to respond to communication needs that may affect understanding, expression, processing, attention, anxiety, participation or the ability to respond to legal questioning.
Experience Highlights
- Certified Speech and Language Pathologist with over 27 years' experience
- PhD in Law; thesis explored the role of the intermediary and access to justice for Autistic defendants and vulnerable individuals in the Australian criminal justice system
- Accredited Witness Intermediary in the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program (CSOEP) in Sydney
- Communication intermediary work across legal contexts involving vulnerable suspects, defendants, victims and witnesses
- Developed NSW's first intermediary scheme for defendants with communication disabilities
- Delivered training to legal professionals, police officers and court personnel across jurisdictions
- Presented and published on intermediary practice, communication access and procedural fairness
Professional development
Specialist training undertaken in intermediary practice and investigative interviewing
Investigative Interviewing
- Interviewing: a skills-based course through the Centre for Investigative Interviewing
- Forensic interview strategies for ADHD through NCAC
- Interviewing young witnesses through NCAC
Training and conference experience
Trusted by courts, tribunals, prosecutors and justice-sector organisations
Conference Presentations
- Council of Australasian Tribunals (COAT) Conference - December 2025
- New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) conference presentation - April 2025
- Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA) conference on Enhancing Safe Practice: A National Justice Forum on Sexual Assault presentation - August 2024
- The Vulnerable Accused in the Criminal Justice System Conference - Birmingham, England; September 13, 2023
- The International Association of Forensic Linguistics 4th Focus Conference - Krakow, Poland; September 19, 2023
- The Courts of the Future Network Conference - Melbourne, Victoria; June 2023
- Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Conference - April 2023
- The International Association for Migrant and Refugee Judges (IARMJ) - November 2022
Trainings / Workshops Provided
- NCAT Guardianship Division Legal Members' training - December 5, 2025
- Excellence in Advocacy Training to lawyers, judges, police and other legal professionals in Lismore, Newcastle and Sydney - October 18 and 25, and November 1, 2025
- South Australia Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) - April 15-17, 2025
- Magistrates' training - February 10-14, 2025, March 13, 2025 and April 3, 2025
- Children's Court Magistrates Education Workshop - December 9, 2024
- Diploma Course on Communication with Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Crimes for Fundación Amparo y Justicia - August 31, 2024
- National Judicial Council of Australia (NJCA) Training on Managing Sexual Assault Hearings - Canberra (February 2024), Sydney (September 2024) and Brisbane (June 2025)
- NSW District Court Judicial Trainings - October 2023, February, May and August 2024
- The Judicial Commission of Victoria - May 2018
- Child Interviewing Course for NSW Child Abuse Detectives
- Australian Advocacy Institute training for lawyers
Next step
Looking for communication-access expertise?
ARTICULATE provides communication intermediary services, training and consultancy for legal and justice settings.