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Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (Code of Practice for Interviews of Witnesses Notified by Accused) Order 2010

It is not a question that I can easily answer. My experience of defending, many years ago, was that sometimes it was a bit of a game as far as defence witnesses were concerned. Occasionally, you heard tales of defence witnesses being brought into court in the hope that their evidence would be over before the police had had the chance to check up on their previous convictions. It sometimes worked and sometimes it did not. To be honest, I think that most often it did not work. But the noble Lord has asked a good question. I may even have had references made in trials on the question of defence witnesses, but any judge would be extremely cautious in allowing in in the normal course of events any list that talked about potential defence witnesses. We will have to see how it works and this is one of the areas we will be monitoring. Motion agreed. Sitting suspended.