Article 20 Evidence given unsworn by child

Evidence given by a child in criminal proceedings shall be given unsworn.

A deposition of a child’s unsworn evidence may be taken for the purposes of criminal proceedings as if that evidence had been given on oath.

A child’s evidence shall be received unless it appears to the court that the child is incapable of giving intelligible testimony.

If any child whose evidence is received unsworn in any proceedings for an offence intentionally gives false evidence in such circumstances that he would, if the evidence had been given on oath, have been guilty of perjury, he shall be guilty of an offence.

A child guilty of an offence under paragraph (4) shall be liable on summary conviction to be dealt with as if he had been summarily convicted of an indictable offence punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment.

In this Article “child” means a person under the age of 14.