{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-evidence-act-northern-ireland-1923/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-evidence-act-northern-ireland-1923/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "apni/1923/9",
  "legislation_title": "Criminal Evidence Act (Northern Ireland) 1923",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-evidence-act-northern-ireland-1923",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Competency of witnesses in criminal cases.",
  "text": ". . .\n(1) A personcharged in criminal proceedings shall not be called as a witnessin the proceedings except upon his own application;\nProvisos (b), (c), (d) rep. by 1989 NI 12\n(2) Subject to Article 6 of the Criminal Justice (Evidence) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (admissibility of defendant’s bad character), a person chargedin criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings may be asked any question in cross-examination notwithstanding that it would tend to criminate him as toany offence with which he is charged in the proceedings:\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(4) Every personcharged in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings shall, unless otherwise ordered by the court, give his evidence from the witness box or other place from which the other witnesses give their evidence:\nProviso (h) rep. by 1989 NI 12",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 1 repealed (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1)(3), Sch. 1 para. 1(2), Sch. 3 (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "1994 c. 33"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 1 paras. (a), (e), (f), (g) of the proviso shall be respectively numbered (4.5.2010) as subsections (1), (2), (3), (4) of the section by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(7) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(a) substituted (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(3)(a) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(a) substituted (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(3)(b) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "By Criminal Justice (Evidence) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1501 (N.I. 10)), arts. 1(3), 46(1), Sch. 1 para. 2(a) (with art. 43) and S.R. 2006/63, art. 2 it is provided that the words \"Subject to Article 6 of the Criminal Justice (Evidence) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (admissibility of defendant's bad character),\" shall be inserted (3.4.2006) in s. 1 \"at the beginning of subsection (2)\". The reference to subsection (2) reflects the numbering of s. 1 para. (e) of the proviso as subsection (2) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), art. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(7) which amending provision comes into operation on (4.5.2010) by S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(e) substituted (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(4)(a) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(e) substituted (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(4)(b) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "By Criminal Justice (Evidence) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1501 (N.I. 10)), arts. 1(3), 46, Sch. 1 para. 2(b), Sch. 3 (with art. 43) and S.R. 2006/63, art. 2 it is provided that s. 1 \"subsection (3)\" shall be repealed (3.4.2006). The reference to subsection (3) reflects the numbering of s. 1 para. (f) of the proviso as subsection (3) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), art. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(7) which amending provision comes into operation on (4.5.2010) by S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(g) substituted (4.5.2010) by Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/2789 (N.I. 8)), arts. 1(2), 40(1), Sch. 1 para. 1(6) (with art. 40(2), Sch. 2); S.R. 2010/142, art. 2, Sch."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1923/9/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T21:35:20.390686+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}