After section 22 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (c. 23) insert—
(1)This section applies where in criminal proceedings relating to a sexual offence (or to a sexual offence and other offences) the complainant in respect of that offence is a witness in the proceedings.
(2)This section does not apply if the place of trial is a magistrates’ court.
(3)This section does not apply if the complainant is an eligible witness by reason of section 16(1)(a) (whether or not the complainant is an eligible witness by reason of any other provision of section 16 or 17).
(4)If a party to the proceedings makes an application under section 19(1)(a) for a special measures direction in relation to the complainant, the party may request that the direction provide for any relevant recording to be admitted under section 27 (video recorded evidence in chief).
(5)Subsection (6) applies if—
(a)a party to the proceedings makes a request under subsection (4) with respect to the complainant, and
(b)the court determines for the purposes of section 19(2) that the complainant is eligible for assistance by virtue of section 16(1)(b) or 17.
(6)The court must—
(a)first have regard to subsections (7) to (9); and
(b)then have regard to section 19(2);
and for the purposes of section 19(2), as it then applies to the complainant, any special measure required to be applied in relation to the complainant by virtue of this section is to be treated as if it were a measure determined by the court, pursuant to section 19(2)(a) and (b)(i), to be one that (whether on its own or with any other special measures) would be likely to maximise, so far as practicable, the quality of the complainant’s evidence.
(7)The court must give a special measures direction in relation to the complainant that provides for any relevant recording to be admitted under section 27.
(8)The requirement in subsection (7) has effect subject to section 27(2).
(9)The requirement in subsection (7) does not apply to the extent that the court is satisfied that compliance with it would not be likely to maximise the quality of the complainant’s evidence so far as practicable (whether because the application to that evidence of one or more other special measures available in relation to the complainant would have that result or for any other reason).
(10)In this section “relevant recording”, in relation to a complainant, is a video recording of an interview of the complainant made with a view to its admission as the evidence in chief of the complainant.”