{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/crown-court-special-measures-directions-and-directions-prohibiting-cross-examination-rules-2002/article-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/crown-court-special-measures-directions-and-directions-prohibiting-cross-examination-rules-2002/article-10.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2002/1688",
  "legislation_title": "The Crown Court (Special Measures Directions and Directions Prohibiting Cross-examination) Rules 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/crown-court-special-measures-directions-and-directions-prohibiting-cross-examination-rules-2002",
  "path": "article/10",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Amendment of the Crown Court Rules",
  "text": "(1) After rule 24D of the Rules, there shall be inserted the following rule—\n“Prohibition on cross-examination of particular witness\n24E (1) An application by the prosecutor for the court to give a direction under section 36 of the 1999 Act in relation to any witness must be sent to the appropriate officer of the Crown Court and at the same time a copy thereof must be sent by the applicant to every other party to the proceedings.\n(2) In his application the prosecutor must state why, in his opinion—\n(a) the evidence given by the witness is likely to be diminished if cross-examination is undertaken by the accused in person;\n(b) the evidence would be improved if a direction were given under section 36(2) of the 1999 Act; and\n(c) it would not be contrary to the interests of justice to give such a direction.\n(3) On receipt of the application the appropriate officer of the Crown Court must refer it—\n(a) if the trial has started, to the trial judge;\n(b) if the trial has not started when the application is received—\n(i) to the judge who has been designated to conduct the trial; or\n(ii) if no judge has been designated for that purpose, to such judge who may be designated for the purposes of hearing that application.\n(4) Where a copy of the application is received by a party to the proceedings more than 14 days before the date set for the trial to begin, that party may make observations in writing on the application to the appropriate officer of the Crown Court, but any such observations must be made within 14 days of the receipt of the application and be copied to the other parties to the proceedings.\n(5) A party to whom an application is sent in accordance with paragraph (1) above who wishes to oppose the application must give his reasons for doing so to the appropriate officer of the Crown Court and the other parties to the proceedings.\n(6) Those reasons must be notified—\n(a) within 14 days of the date the application was served on him, if that date is more than 14 days before the date set for the trial to begin;\n(b) if the trial has begun, in accordance with any directions issued by the trial judge; or\n(c) if neither sub-paragraph (a) nor sub-paragraph (b) apply, before the date set for the trial to begin.\n(7) Where the application made in accordance with (1) above is made before the date set for the trial to begin and—\n(a) is not contested by any party to the proceedings, the court may determine the application without a hearing;\n(b) is contested by a party to the proceedings, the court must direct a hearing of the application.\n(8) Where the application is made after the trial has begun—\n(a) the application may be made orally; and\n(b) the trial judge may give such directions as he considers appropriate to deal with the application.\n(9) Where a hearing of the application is to take place, the appropriate officer of the Crown Court shall notify each party to the proceedings of the time and place of the hearing.\n(10) A party notified in accordance with paragraph (9) above may be present at the hearing and be heard.\n(11) The appropriate officer of the Crown Court must, as soon as possible after the determination of an application made in accordance with paragraph (1) above, give notice of the decision and the reasons for it to all the parties to the proceedings.\n(12) A person making an oral application under paragraph (8)(a) above must—\n(a) give reasons why the application was not made before the trial commenced; and\n(b) provide the court with the information set out in paragraph (2) above.”\n(2) In each of the provisions set out in paragraph (3) below, for “section 34 or 35” substitute “section 34, 35 or 36”.\n(3) Those provisions are—\n(a) rule 24B(1);\n(b) rule 24B(7);\n(c) rule 24C(2);\n(d) rule 24D(1);and\n(e) rule 24D(4).\n(4) In rule 24D(8) after “24C” insert “,24E”.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Rules 24B to 24D were inserted by S.I. 2000/2093 (L. 17)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1688/article/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T06:53:51.208368+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."
}