Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Anonymity of witnesses

16 (1) The repeal of sections 1 to 9 of the Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Act 2008 (c. 15) (“the 2008 Act”) by section 96 does not affect the continuation in effect of a witness anonymity order made under the 2008 Act before 1 January 2010.

(2) An application under section 3 of the 2008 Act that falls to be heard on or after 1 January 2010 is to be treated as an application under section 87 of this Act and the conditions in section 88 must be satisfied in relation to it.

(3) The following provisions of this paragraph apply in relation to witness anonymity orders made under the 2008 Act before 1 January 2010.

(4) Sections 91 to 93 of this Act have effect on or after 1 January 2010 for the purpose of discharging or varying a witness anonymity order made under the 2008 Act.

(5) Accordingly, an application under section 6 of the 2008 Act that falls to be heard on or after 1 January 2010 is to be treated as an application under section 91 of this Act or (as the case may be) section 92.

(6) Where section 91 or 92 of this Act has effect for the purposes of discharging or varying a witness anonymity order made under the 2008 Act, the definition in that section of “the relevant time” is to be treated as including, in a case where a previous application has been made under section 6 of the 2008 Act, the time when the application under section 6 (or the last application under section 6) was made.

(7) Where section 91, 92 or 93 of this Act has effect in relation to a witness anonymity order made under the 2008 Act, the reference in that section to sections 88 and 89 of this Act has effect as a reference to sections 4 and 5 of the 2008 Act.

(8) Sections 90 and 94(3) of this Act have effect on or after 1 January 2010 in relation to a witness to whom a witness anonymity order under the 2008 Act applies as they have effect in relation to a witness to whom a witness anonymity order under Chapter 2 of Part 3 of this Act applies.