sec.9EPrinciples for dealing with a child witness

### sec.9E Principles for dealing with a child witness Because a child tends to be vulnerable in dealings with a person in authority, it is the Parliament’s intention that a child who is a witness in a proceeding should be given the benefit of special measures when giving the child’s evidence. The following general principles apply when dealing with a child witness in a proceeding— the child is to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion; measures should be taken to limit, to the greatest practical extent, the distress or trauma suffered by the child when giving evidence; the child should not be intimidated in cross-examination; the proceeding should be resolved as quickly as possible. In this section— child means a child under 16 years. s 9E ins 2003 No. 55 s 57 (sec.9E-ssec.1) Because a child tends to be vulnerable in dealings with a person in authority, it is the Parliament’s intention that a child who is a witness in a proceeding should be given the benefit of special measures when giving the child’s evidence. (sec.9E-ssec.2) The following general principles apply when dealing with a child witness in a proceeding— the child is to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion; measures should be taken to limit, to the greatest practical extent, the distress or trauma suffered by the child when giving evidence; the child should not be intimidated in cross-examination; the proceeding should be resolved as quickly as possible. (sec.9E-ssec.3) In this section— child means a child under 16 years. - (a) the child is to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion; - (b) measures should be taken to limit, to the greatest practical extent, the distress or trauma suffered by the child when giving evidence; - (c) the child should not be intimidated in cross-examination; - (d) the proceeding should be resolved as quickly as possible.