# The Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, Rule 18.1: When this Part applies

Extent: E+W

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, 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),
(iii) hearing a witness’ evidence in private (section 25 of the 1999 Act),
(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),
(vi) questioning a witness through an intermediary (section 29 of the 1999 Act),
(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;
(c) where the court can—
(i) make a witness anonymity order, under section 86 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, 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.]

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/909/rule/18.1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/criminal-procedure-rules-2025/rule-18.1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.