Legal chiefs bring in rules to protect witnesses

New rules to protect vulnerable witnesses and children when giving evidence in court have been introduced by legal chiefs.

Justice bosses want to enable greater use of pre-recording of evidence in the most serious criminal cases.

The Bill proposes other measures such as a simplified process for deemed vulnerable witnesses to request special measures such as giving evidence via a live TV link away from the courtroom during the trial.

This covers complainers of sexual offences, stalking and domestic abuse .

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said:“Building on our other improvements for victims and witnesses, this bill is an important step forward, which will mean far fewer vulnerable witnesses have to give evidence in court during criminal trials.

“As young witnesses often need extra support, we have previously made clear that this reform must focus in the first instance on children. This represents a significant change to the law and practice, which justice organisations will need to implement in a managed way in order to achieve our aim of ensuring witnesses can give their best evidence, while protecting the rights of the accused.”

The Bill’s main thrust for children under 18 (complainers and witnesses) in order to ensure that where they are due to give evidence in the most serious cases, they will have it pre-recorded usually by the special measure“evidence by commissioner.”