62Preliminary proceedings orders

### 62 Preliminary proceedings orders > *\[Section 62 Substituted by No. 108 of 1974, s. 19 \]**\[Section 62 Amended by No. 34 of 1989, s. 6 \]**\[Section 62 Substituted by No. 41 of 1991, s. 5 \]*[*\[Section 62 Subsection (1) amended by No. 62 of 2000, Sched. 1, Applied:14 Nov 2000\]*](/view/html/inforce/2000-11-14/act-2000-062#JS1@Ja6@GC3@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 62 Subsection (1) amended by No. 62 of 2000, Sched. 1, Applied:14 Nov 2000\]*](/view/html/inforce/2000-11-14/act-2000-062#JS1@Ja6@GC3@Hpb@EN) *\[Section 62 Subsection (2) added by No. 10 of 1994, s. 7 and Sched. 2 \]*[*\[Section 62 Substituted by No. 22 of 2007, s. 11, Applied:01 Feb 2008\]*](/view/html/inforce/2008-02-01/act-2007-022#GS11@EN) [*\[Section 62 Substituted by No. 27 of 2020, s. 15, Applied:01 Jul 2021\]*](/view/html/inforce/2021-07-01/act-2020-027#GS15@EN) > > > (1)  At any appearance of a defendant before a magistrate in respect of a charge for an indictable offence, on any plea to the charge other than a plea of guilty – > > > > > > (a) one or more of the following persons may apply in writing for an order that a witness named in the application give evidence on oath in preliminary proceedings: > > > > > > > > > > (i) the defendant; > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) a crown law officer; > > > > > > > > > > > (iii) if the indictable offence is a Commonwealth matter, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Commonwealth or a person acting on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Commonwealth; and > > > > > > > (b) the magistrate may make such an order. > > > (2)  A magistrate may only make an order under [subsection (1)](#GS62@Gs1@EN)  in respect of a witness if – > > > > > > (a) in the application for the order, the applicant has – > > > > > > > > > > (i) identified a matter in respect of which the witness specified in the application is to be questioned; and > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) specified why the evidence of the witness is relevant to that matter; and > > > > > > > > > > > (iii) specified why examination of the witness is justified; and > > > > > > > (b) if the witness is an affected person, the magistrate is satisfied that exceptional circumstances require the witness to give evidence on oath at the preliminary proceedings; and > > > > > > > (c) the magistrate is satisfied that the order is necessary in the interests of justice. > > > (3)  If an application, or part of an application, under [subsection (1)](#GS62@Gs1@EN) relates to whether the defendant is fit to stand trial in respect of an indictable offence – > > > > > > (a) the application, or that part of the application, is to be determined by the Supreme Court; and > > > > > > > (b) [section 10(2) of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-021#GS10@Gs2@EN) [Criminal Justice (Mental Impairment) Act 1999](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1999-021) applies to the determination of that matter by the Supreme Court. > > > (4)  An order under [subsection (1)](#GS62@Gs1@EN)  – > > > > > > (a) if the witness to be examined under the order is an affected person – > > > > > > > > > > (i) must limit the matters in respect of which the witness may be examined under the order; and > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) may impose conditions in relation to such examination under the order; and > > > > > > > (b) in respect of any other witness, may do either or both of the following: > > > > > > > > > > (i) limit the matters in respect of which the witness may be examined under the order; > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) impose conditions in relation to such examination under the order. > > > (5)  If a magistrate makes an order under [subsection (1)](#GS62@Gs1@EN) , the magistrate is to remand the defendant in custody or admit him or her to bail to appear before a magistrate, or justice, at the time and on the day specified in the order.