Article 8 Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules 2015

in paragraph (2), for ‘That party’ substitute ‘A prosecutor or co-defendant who wants to introduce such evidence’;

in paragraph (3), for ‘A prosecutor who wants to introduce such evidence must serve the notice’ substitute ‘A prosecutor must serve any such notice’;

in paragraph (4), for ‘A co-defendant who wants to introduce such evidence must serve the notice’ substitute ‘A co-defendant must serve any such notice’;

in paragraph (5), after ‘A party who objects to the introduction of the evidence’ insert ‘identified by such a notice’;

in paragraph (6)(a), after ‘determine’ insert ‘such’;

in paragraph (7), after ‘receive’ insert ‘such’; and

after paragraph (7), insert—

“(8)

A defendant who wants to introduce evidence of his or her own bad character must—

(a)

give notice, in writing or orally—

(i)

as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any event

(ii)

before the evidence is introduced, either by the defendant or in reply to a question asked by the defendant of another party’s witness in order to obtain that evidence; and

(b)

in the Crown Court, at the same time give notice (in writing, or orally) of any direction about the defendant’s character that the defendant wants the court to give the jury under rule 25.14 (Directions to the jury and taking the verdict).”