Criminal Justice Act 1988

Section 146.

SCHEDULE 13Evidence Before Courts-Martial Etc.

Interpretation

1In this Schedule—

• “procedural instruments” means—

  (a)

  Rules of Procedure under section 103 of the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 or section 103 of the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955;

  (b)

  General Orders under section 58 of the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957;

  (c)

  rules under section 49 of the [1968 c. 20.] Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968; and

  (d)

  orders under paragraph 12 of Schedule 3 to the [1976 c. 52.] Armed Forces Act 1976; and

• “Service courts” means—

  (a)

  courts-martial constituted under the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955;

  (b)

  courts-martial constituted under the Naval Discipline Act 1957 and disciplinary courts constituted under section 50 of that Act;

  (c)

  the Courts-Martial Appeal Court; and

  (d)

  Standing Civilian Courts.

First-hand hearsay

2Sections 23 and 24 above shall have effect in relation to proceedings in the United Kingdom or elsewhere before Service courts with the substitution of the following sub-paragraph for section 23(2)(b)(i)—

“(i)the person who made the statement is not in the country where the court is sitting; and”.

Documentary evidence

3Section 25 above shall have effect in relation to proceedings in the United Kingdom or elsewhere before Service courts as if such proceedings were mentioned in subsection (1) of that section.

4In section 26 above—

(a)the reference to criminal proceedings in paragraph (a) includes summary proceedings under section 77 of the Army Act 1955, section 77 of the Air Force Act 1955 or section 49 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957; and

(b)in paragraph (b) “criminal investigation” includes any investigation which may lead—

(i)to proceedings before a court-martial or Standing Civilian Court; or

(ii)to summary proceedings such as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above.

5Without prejudice to the generality of any enactment conferring power to make them, procedural instruments may make such provision as appears to the authority making any of them to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of Part II of this Act.

Letters of request etc.

6(1)In section 29 above “criminal proceedings” does not include proceedings before a Service court, but the Secretary of State may by order make provision as to letters of request or corresponding documents for such proceedings.

(2)An order under this paragraph may make different provision for different classes of case.

(3)The power to make an order under this paragraph shall be exercisable by statutory instrument and a statutory instrument containing any such order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(4)Without prejudice to the generality of any enactment conferring power to make procedural instruments, procedural instruments may make such provision as appears to the authority making them to be necessary or expedient in relation to letters of request or corresponding documents for proceedings before a Service court.

Form of evidence and glossaries

7For the purpose of helping members—

(a)of courts-martial constituted under the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 or the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955; or

(b)of courts-martial constituted under the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957 or disciplinary courts constituted under section 50 of that Act,

to understand complicated issues of fact or technical terms Rules of Procedure under section 103 of either of the first two of those Acts and General Orders under section 58 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 may make provision—

(i)as to the furnishing of evidence in any form, notwithstanding the existence of admissible material from which the evidence to be given in that form would be derived; and

(ii)as to the furnishing of glossaries for such purposes as may be specified;

in any case where the court gives leave for, or requires, evidence or a glossary to be so furnished.

Use of television links

8(1)The Secretary of State may by order direct that section 32(1) to (3) above shall have effect in relation—

(a)to proceedings before Service courts; or

(b)to proceedings or proceedings of specified descriptions before Service courts in specified places.

(2)If an order is made under this paragraph—

(a)subsection (1) of section 32 above shall have effect in relation to any court to which the order applies with the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a)—

“(a)the witness is not in the country where the court is sitting; or”; and

(b)subsection (2) of that section shall have effect in relation to any such court with the substitution, for each reference to an offence, of a reference to a civil offence under section 70 of the Army or the Air Force Act 1955 or section 42 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 in relation to which the corresponding civil offence, within the meaning of those sections, is that offence.

(3)An order under this paragraph may provide that section 32(1), (2) or (3) above shall have effect in relation to any court to which the order applies subject to such modifications as may be specified in the order, in addition to the modifications for which sub-paragraph (2) above provides.

(4)The power to make an order conferred by this paragraph shall be exercisable by statutory instrument and a statutory instrument containing any such order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(5)Without prejudice to the generality of any enactment conferring power to make procedural instruments, procedural instruments may make such provision as appears to the authority making them to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of section 32(1) to (3) above in their application to proceedings such as are mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) above by virtue of an order under that sub-paragraph.

(6)In this paragraph “modifications” includes additions, omissions and amendments.