1-1 of 1 results for subject:Intimidation
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.19 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.002 seconds
- Search query
- subject:Intimidation
- We searched for
- subject_t:Intimidation OR subject_ses:91728
Primary member
X
Best, Harold
Type
House
Session
Year
Department
Member
Primary member
More
Best, Harold (1)
Answering member
Legislative stage
Legislation
Subject
Publisher
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he has taken to make it easier for vulnerable witnesses to give evidence in court; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he has taken to make it easier for vulnerable witnesses to give evidence in court; and if he will make a statement.
Asked by
Harold Best
(Labour)
Answered by
Paul Goggins
(Labour)
Answering body
Home Office
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 June 2003
For answer on
23 June 2003
Answered on
23 June 2003
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to make it easier for vulnerable
witnesses to give evidence in court; and if he will make a statement. [118775]
Paul Goggins: In July 2002 we started a phased implementation of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to
give their best evidence. Vulnerable witness--who are defined by section 16 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 as
being persons (not the accused) who are aged under 17 years or whose quality of evidence would be diminished by reasons of a mental
disorder, or impairment of intelligence and social functioning, or a physical condition or disorder--can now apply for the following
special measures in the Crown Court: Screens--to ensure that the witness does not see the defendant; Live TV link--allowing a
witness to give evidence from outside the court; Clearing the court so that evidence can be given in private; Removal of wigs and
gowns in court; Video recorded evidence in chief--allowing an interview with the witness, which has been video recorded before the
trial, to be shown as the witness's evidence in chief; and Use of communication aids.
The magistrates' courts, implementation has been limited so far to live link and video recorded evidence in chief for witnesses aged
under 17 in certain categories of case, including sexual and violence offences. Further rollout of the special measures is planned
for 2003-04 following evaluation of the first phase.
Two of the special measures--video recorded pre- trial cross-examination and examination of the witness through an intermediary--are
novel and complex and will be the subject of pilot projects before they are introduced nationally. Preparations are being made for
intermediary pilots to begin later this year. A scoping study on options for piloting video recorded pre-trial cross-examination
will be commissioned shortly.
Subjects
Evidence; Intimidation; Protection; Witnesses; Trials
Date
23 June 2003
Reference
118775; 407 c604-5W;407 c606-7W
House
House of Commons