Rule 18.1 When this Part appliesI1

England and Wales

This Part applies—

(a)

where the court can give a direction (a ‘special measures direction’), under section 19 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999^f1, on an application or on its own initiative, for any of the following measures—

(i)

preventing a witness from seeing the defendant (section 23 of the 1999 Act),

(ii)

allowing a witness to give evidence by live link (section 24 of the 1999 Act^f2),

(iii)

hearing a witness’ evidence in private (section 25 of the 1999 Act^f3),

(iv)

dispensing with the wearing of wigs and gowns (section 26 of the 1999 Act),

(v)

admitting video recorded evidence (sections 27 and 28 of the 1999 Act^f4),

(vi)

questioning a witness through an intermediary (section 29 of the 1999 Act^f5),

(vii)

using a device to help a witness communicate (section 30 of the 1999 Act);

(b)

where the court can vary or discharge such a direction, under section 20 of the 1999 Act^f6;

(c)

where the court can—

(i)

make a witness anonymity order, under section 86 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009^f7, or

(ii)

vary or discharge such an order, under section 91, 92 or 93 of the 2009 Act;

(d)

where the court can—

(i)

appoint an intermediary to facilitate a defendant’s effective participation in that defendant’s trial, when the defendant gives evidence or at any other time, or

(ii)

vary or discharge such an appointment; and

(e)

where the court can exercise any other power it has to give, make, vary, rescind, discharge or revoke a direction for a measure to help a witness to give evidence or to help a defendant to participate in that defendant’s trial.

[Note. At the end of this Part is a summary of the circumstances in which a witness or defendant may be eligible for the assistance of one of the measures to which this Part applies.]

Annotations

Commencement

I1: Rule 18.1 in force at 6.10.2025, see Preamble

Footnotes

f1: 1999 c. 23.
f2: 1999 c. 23; section 24 was amended by paragraph 385 of Schedule 8 to, and Schedule 10 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) and section 102(1) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25).
f3: 1999 c. 23; section 25 was amended by paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Schedule to S.I. 2013/554 and section 46 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (c. 30).
f4: 1999 c. 23; section 27 was amended by paragraph 384 of Schedule 8 to the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), paragraph 73 of Schedule 3 and Part 4 of Schedule 37 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) and sections 102(2), 103(1), (3), (4) and (5), 177(1) and (2) and 178 of, and paragraph 73 of Schedule 21, paragraph 23 of Schedule 22 and Part 3 of Schedule 23 to, the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25).
f5: 1999 c. 23; section 29 was amended by paragraph 384(d) of Schedule 8 to the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39).
f6: 1999 c. 23; section 20(6) was amended by paragraph 384(a) of Schedule 8 to the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39).
f7: 2009 c. 25.