Legal system needs to adapt for people with intellectual disabilities - study

The study found while people with intellectual disabilities are over-represented in the criminal justice system worldwide, this was also the case in Ireland's prison population.

A new report recommends changes in how law enforcement interacts with people with intellectual disabilities after finding that barriers to communication are a significant theme and that some people may be "vulnerable to suggestion and coercion".

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Limerick, alongside colleagues from other Irish universities, received the views of 95 people working in the area, including those working in a voluntary or representative organisation for people with intellectual disabilities (PWID), people working in healthcare, and working in law enforcement, including gardaí, judges, and barristers.