1(1)Section 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 (competence of accused as witness for the defence) is amended as follows.
(2)Omit the words from the beginning to “Provided as follows:—”.
(3)In paragraph (a) of the proviso—
(a)for “so charged” substitute “charged in criminal proceedings”; and
(b)for “in pursuance of this Act” substitute “in the proceedings”.
(4)In paragraph (e) of the proviso—
(a)for “and being a witness in pursuance of this Act” substitute “in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings”; and
(b)for “the offence charged” substitute “any offence with which he is charged in the proceedings”.
(5)In paragraph (f) of the proviso—
(a)for “and called as a witness in pursuance of this Act” substitute “in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings”;
(b)for “that wherewith” substitute “one with which”; and
(c)in sub-paragraph (i), for “the offence wherewith” substitute “an offence with which”.
(6)In paragraph (g) of the proviso, for “called as a witness in pursuance of this Act” substitute “charged in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings”.
(7)Paragraphs (a), (e), (f) and (g) of the proviso shall be respectively numbered as subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4) of the section.