Section 35 – Authorisation for questioning
102.Section 35 introduces a regime to allow the court to authorise a constable to question an accused person after the person has been officially accused of an offence or offences.
103.Subsection (1) confirms that the court may authorise a constable to carry out questioning once this stage has been reached. There is no provision for any other person, such as a prosecutor, to be so authorised.
104.Subsections (2) and (3) set out the circumstances in which the court can allow this questioning to take place. These provisions are designed to ensure that this power is exercised proportionately, having regard both to the rights of the accused person and to the public interest in gathering evidence in respect of an alleged criminal offence.
105.Thus subsection (2) provides that the court needs to be satisfied that the proposed questioning is in the interests of justice.
106.Subsection (3) sets out further factors which the court must take into account when deciding whether or not to authorise an application for questioning.
107.Subsection (5) applies where a court has granted an application to authorise questioning after the case has called in court, either having been commenced by means of a warrant, or where the accused has appeared in court. In those circumstances, subsection (4) gives the accused person the right to be heard by the court before any decision on the application is made. The person can be represented by a solicitor for these purposes, if the person wishes. It follows that the person has no similar right to be heard in respect of an application about a case which has not yet called in court.
108.Subsection (6) applies where the court has decided to grant the application and authorise questioning. In that event, subsection (6)(a) provides that the court must specify the length of time during which a constable may question the accused person. Subsection (6)(b) allows, but does not require, a court to place other conditions on the questioning to ensure that it is not unfair to the accused person. This might, for example, mean a restriction on the subject matter about which the accused person can properly be questioned.
109.Subsection (7) provides that there is no right of appeal against the decision of a court either to grant or refuse authorisation, or against any conditions imposed by the court under subsection (6)(b).
110.Subsection (8) defines the word “court” for the purposes of this section.
