Western Australian Current Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 1906 - SECT 106G

106G .         Cross-examination of protected witness by unrepresented accused

        (1)         Where in any proceeding for an offence an accused who is not represented by counsel wishes to cross-examine a protected witness, the accused —

            (a)         is not entitled to do so directly; but

            (b)         may put any question to the protected witness by stating the question to the judge or a person approved by the court,

                and that person is to repeat the question accurately to the protected witness.

        (2)         Nothing in subsection (1) prevents a protected witness who is not a child from consenting to being cross-examined by the accused directly.

        (3)         In this section —

        protected witness means —

            (a)         a child; or

            (b)         if the proceeding is for a serious sexual offence, the victim (irrespective of the person’s age); or

            (c)         if the proceeding is for a criminal organisation offence —

                  (i)         the victim (irrespective of the person’s age); or

                  (ii)         any witness for the prosecution (irrespective of the person’s age).

        [Section 106G inserted: No. 36 of 1992 s. 8; amended: No. 46 of 2004 s. 18; No. 84 of 2004 s. 82; No. 49 of 2012 s. 177(3).]