Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995

Trials involving vulnerable witnessesS

[F1288DCProhibition of personal conduct of defence in domestic abuse casesS

(1)This section applies to—

(a)an offence under section 1(1) of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018,

(b)an offence that is aggravated as described in section 1(1)(a) of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016.

(2)An accused in proceedings for an offence to which this section applies is prohibited from conducting the accused's case in person at, or for the purposes of, any relevant hearing in the course of the proceedings.

(3)Section 288D applies in the case of proceedings in respect of an offence to which this section applies as it does in the case of proceedings in respect of an offence to which section 288C applies (and a reference in section 288D to a relevant hearing is to be read accordingly).

(4)In subsection (2), “relevant hearing” means a hearing at, or for the purposes of, which a witness is to give evidence.]

288EProhibition of personal conduct of defence in certain cases involving child witnesses under the age of 12S

F2(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)This section applies to any proceedings (other than proceedings in the [F3JP court])—

(a)in respect of any offence specified in subsection (3) below, and

(b)in which a child witness who is under the age of 12 on the date of commencement of the proceedings is to give evidence at or for the purposes of [F4any hearing in the course of the proceedings].

[F5(2A)The accused is prohibited from conducting his case in person at, or for the purposes of, any hearing at, or for the purposes of, which the child witness is to give evidence.]

(3)The offences referred to in subsection (2)(a) above are—

(a)murder,

(b)culpable homicide,

(c)any offence which—

(i)involves an assault on, or injury or threat of injury to, any person (including any offence involving neglect or ill-treatment of, or other cruelty to, a child), but

(ii)is not an offence to which section 288C [F6or 288DC] of this Act applies,

(d)abduction, and

(e)plagium.

(4)Section 288D of this Act applies in the case of proceedings to which this section applies as it applies in the case of proceedings in respect of a sexual offence to which section 288C of this Act applies [F7and as if references to a relevant hearing were references to a hearing referred to in subsection (2A) above].

(5)In proceedings to which this section applies, the prosecutor shall, at the same time as intimating to the accused under section 271A(13) of this Act a [F8vulnerable] witness notice in respect of [F9the trial], serve on the accused a notice under subsection (6).

(6)A notice under this subsection shall contain intimation to the accused—

[F10(a)that his case at, or for the purposes of, any hearing in the course of the proceedings at, or for the purposes of, which the child witness is to give evidence may be conducted only by a lawyer,]

(b)that it is therefore in his interests, if he has not already done so, to get the professional assistance of a solicitor, and

(c)that if he does not engage a solicitor for the purposes of [F11the conduct of his case at or for the purposes of the] [F12hearing], the court will do so.

(7)A failure to comply with subsection (5) or (6) above does not affect the validity or lawfulness of any [F13vulnerable] witness notice or any other element of the proceedings against the accused.

F14(8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(9)For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) above, proceedings shall be taken to have commenced when the indictment or, as the case may be, the complaint is served on the accused.

288FPower to prohibit personal conduct of defence in other cases involving vulnerable witnessesS

(1)This section applies in the case of proceedings in respect of any offence, other than proceedings—

(a)in the [F15JP court],

(b)in respect of a sexual offence to which section 288C of this Act applies, or

[F16(ba)in respect of an offence to which section 288DC of this Act applies,]

(c)to which section 288E of this Act applies,

where a vulnerable witness is to give evidence at, or for the purposes of, [F17any hearing in the course of the proceedings].

(2)If satisfied that it is in the interests of the vulnerable witness to do so, the court may—

(a)on the application of the prosecutor, or

(b)of its own motion,

make an order prohibiting the accused from conducting his [F18case in person at any hearing at, or for the purposes of, which the vulnerable witness is to give evidence.]

(3)However, the court shall not make an order under subsection (2) above if it considers that—

(a)the order would give rise to a significant risk of prejudice to the fairness of the [F19hearing] or otherwise to the interests of justice, and

(b)that risk significantly outweighs any risk of prejudice to the interests of the vulnerable witness if the order is not made.

(4)The court may make an order under subsection (2) above [F20in relation to a hearing after, as well as before, the hearing has commenced.]

F21(4A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)Section 288D of this Act applies in the case of proceedings in respect of which an order is made under this section as it applies in the case of proceedings in respect of a sexual offence to which section 288C of this Act applies [F22 and as if references to a relevant hearing were references to any hearing in respect of which an order is made under this section].

F23(6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .