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Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

I take a position that is slightly different from that of my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) and that of the Liberal Democrats. It seems to me that where a defendant who has a co-defendant wishes to have a witness anonymity order made in respect of a witness, the Crown ultimately has a duty to the co-defendant to inform them of any criminal antecedents or other considerations that may make the evidence of the to-be-anonymised witness prejudicial to the co-defendant. The Crown can discharge that obligation only if they know the identity of the anonymised witness.