Community Care's A Fair Hearing: Justice for People with Learning Difficulties campaign has put the treatment of people with learning difficulties in the criminal justice system firmly on the agenda.

A total of 139 MPs have signed the campaign Early Day Motion calling for a range of improvements in the treatment of defendants and witnesses with learning difficulties.

At a Community Care parliamentary briefing earlier this month, MPs heard how the Crown Prosecution Service has refused to take offenders to court in cases when the victim is a person with learning difficulties.

A petition, signed by more than 11,000 Community Care readers, demanding action from the government is to be handed to Home Office minister Alun Michael this week.

The minister told the briefing that people with learning difficulties would be included in the government's interdepartmental review of the criminal justice system, which is expected to report in spring.

Community Care is holding two workshops to help managers and practitioners achieve justice for people with learning difficulties in the criminal justice system.