Criminal Justice Act 1991

55 Further amendments of enactments relating to children’s evidence

(1) In section 103 of the 1980 Act (evidence of children in committal proceedings) subsection (3)(a) shall cease to have effect and for subsection (5) there shall be substituted the following subsection—

“(5) In this section “child” has the same meaning as in section 53 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.”

(2) In subsection (1) of section 32 of the 1988 Act (evidence through television links)—

(a) for the words from “on a trial” to “1968” there shall be substituted the words “in proceedings to which subsection (1A) below applies”; and

(b) for paragraph (b) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“(b) the witness is a child, or is to be cross-examined following the admission under section 32A below of a video recording of testimony from him, and the offence is one to which subsection (2) below applies,”.

(3) After that subsection there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(1A) This subsection applies—

(a) to trials on indictment, appeals to the criminal division of the Court of Appeal and hearings of references under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968; and

(b) to proceedings in youth courts and appeals to the Crown Court arising out of such proceedings.”

(4) After subsection (3) of that section there shall be inserted the following subsections—

“(3A) Where, in the case of any proceedings before a youth court—

(a) leave is given by virtue of subsection (1)(b) above for evidence to be given through a television link; and

(b) suitable facilities for receiving such evidence are not available at any petty-sessional court-house in which the court can (apart from this subsection) lawfully sit,

the court may sit for the purposes of the whole or any part of those proceedings at any place at which such facilities are available and which has been appointed for the purposes of this subsection by the justices acting for the petty sessions area for which the court acts.

(3B) A place appointed under subsection (3) above may be outside the petty sessions area for which it is appointed; but it shall be deemed to be in that area for the purpose of the jurisdiction of the justices acting for that area.”

(5) In subsection (5) of that section, for paragraphs (a) and (b) there shall be substituted the words “Magistrates' Courts Rules, Crown Court Rules and Criminal Appeal Rules”.

(6) After subsection (5) of that section there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(6) Subsection (7) of section 32A below shall apply for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that section, but with the omission of the references to a person being, in the cases there mentioned, under the age of fifteen years or under the age of eighteen years.”

(7) After section 34 of the 1988 Act there shall be inserted the following section—

“34A Cross-examination of alleged child victims

(1) No person who is charged with an offence to which section 32(2) above applies shall cross-examine in person any witness who—

(a) is alleged—

(i) to be a person against whom the offence was committed; or

(ii) to have witnessed the commission of the offence; and

(b) is a child, or is to be cross-examined following the admission under section 32A above of a video recording of testimony from him.

(2) Subsection (7) of section 32A above shall apply for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that section, but with the omission of the references to a person being, in the cases there mentioned, under the age of fifteen years or under the age of eighteen years.”