2983

House of Commons

Tuesday 8th July 2008

Committee of the whole House

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill

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David Howarth

Chris Huhne

Tom Brake

Lynne Featherstone

35

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  26,  leave out subsection (2).

Secretary Jack Straw

40

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  26,  leave out ‘the application’ and insert ‘an application

under this section’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

20

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  leave out ‘prosecutor’ and insert ‘court’.

Secretary Jack Straw

41

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(3)	The court must give every party to the proceedings the opportunity to be heard on

an application under this section.

(4)	But subsection (3) does not prevent the court from hearing one or more parties in

the absence of a defendant and his or her legal representatives, if it appears to the

court to be appropriate to do so in the circumstances of the case.’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

1

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end add—

‘(3)	The court must give every party to the proceedings the opportunity to be heard on

the application.

(4)	For the purpose of considering an application for a witness anonymity order the

court may appoint an independent counsel to assist the court, and, without

limiting the directions that the court may make, the court may direct the

independent counsel—

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

2984

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

(a)	to inquire into the matters that are set out in sections 4 and 5 and any other

matters that the court may think relevant, and

(b)	to report his findings to the court.

(5)	Where an independent counsel has been appointed, the party who applied for the

witness anonymity order must make available to the independent counsel all

information in relation to the proceeding that is in the party’s possession.

(6)	Where an independent counsel has been appointed, provision shall be made, by

order, for fees for the professional services of the independent counsel together

with reasonable expenses to be determined and paid from money appropriated by

Parliament for the purpose.’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

2

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end add—

‘(3)	The court must give every party to the proceedings the opportunity to be heard on

the application.

(4)	For the purpose of considering an application for a witness anonymity order the

court may appoint an independent counsel to assist the court, and, without

limiting the directions that the court may make, the court may direct the

independent counsel—

(a)	to inquire into the matters that are set out in sections 4 and 5 and any other

matters that the court may think relevant, and

(b)	to report his findings to the court.

(5)	Where an independent counsel has been appointed, the party who applied for the

witness anonymity order must make available to the independent counsel all

information in relation to the proceeding that is in the party’s possession.’.

Dr Evan Harris

18

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end add—

‘(3)	For the purposes of considering an application for a witness anonymity order the

judge may appoint a special advocate to represent the interests of the party not

present.’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

19

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end add—

‘(3)	Any application for a witness anonymity order must be made to the court at the

earliest opportunity.’.

David Howarth

Chris Huhne

Tom Brake

Lynne Featherstone

36

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(3)	The application must be heard by the court in chambers and determined on

evidence admissible in a criminal trial.’.

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

2985

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

Mr Douglas Hogg

3

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  31,  leave out ‘satisfied’ and insert ‘sure’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

4

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  31,  leave out ‘C’ and insert ‘D’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

21

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  34,  leave out ‘safety of the witness or another person’ and

insert ‘witness or another person from death or serious injury.’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

5

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  35,  leave out from ‘property’ to end of line 38.

Mr Douglas Hogg

6

Clause  4,  page  2,  line  39,  leave out subsection (4) and insert—

‘(4)	Condition B is that the making of the witness anonymity order would not deprive

the defendant of a fair trial.’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

7

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  1,  after ‘not’, insert ‘, and could not reasonably be expected

to,’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

8

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  1,  at end insert—

‘(5A)

Condition D is that there is no reason to believe that the witness has a motive or

a tendency to be dishonest, having regard to the circumstances of the case and

(where applicable) to the witness’s previous convictions or the witness’s

relationship with the accused or any associates of the accused, and to any other

consideration that may be relevant to that issue that the court may think

appropriate.’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

22

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  3,  leave out from ‘must’ to end of line 4 and insert ‘assess the

reasonableness of any fear alleged on the part of the witness or another person.’.

Dr Evan Harris

17

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  5,  leave out from ‘injury’ to the end of line 6.

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

2986

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

23

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  5,  after second ‘or’, insert ‘serious’.

Mr Andrew Dismore

Mark Fisher

32

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  6,  leave out ‘property’ and insert ‘his property, or the

property of a close relative of his’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

31

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  6,  at end insert ‘or serious financial loss’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

9

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  9,  leave out ‘C’ and insert ‘D’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

10

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘(aa)

the principle that witness anonymity orders are justified only in

exceptional cases;

(ab)	the gravity of the offence;

(ac)	whether there is other evidence that corroborates the witness’s evidence;

(ad)	whether the witness’s evidence constitutes the sole or decisive evidence

against the defendant;’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

24

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  15,  at end insert—

‘(aa)

the gravity of the offences alleged in the indictment;

(ab)	the extent to which the evidence of the witness concerned is the only

uncorroborated or central evidence in the prosecution’s case against the

defendant;

(ac)	the importance of the witness’s evidence to the strength of the

prosecution or defence case;

(ad)	the nature and extent of any risk of death or injury to the witness or other

person as assessed by the prosecuting authority;

(ae)	the nature and extent of any protective measures which the prosecuting

authority can offer to the witness or other person to reduce the risk of

death or injury;

(af)	the cost of implementing the protective measures;

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

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Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

(ag)	the likelihood that the witness, and any person associated with him, will

be able to adjust to any change in his circumstances which may arise from

the making of the arrangements or from their variation or cancellation (as

the case may be);

(ah)	where the witness or other person has declined an offer of protective

measures, the reasonableness of his reasons for so declining;

(ai)	whether the interests of justice can be served by the appointment by the

court of a special advocate to assist it in the making of its decision;’.

Secretary Jack Straw

42

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  18,  at end insert—

‘(ba)

whether evidence given by the witness might be the sole or decisive

evidence implicating the defendant;’.

Mr Douglas Hogg

11

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  22,  leave out paragraph (d).

David Howarth

Chris Huhne

Tom Brake

Lynne Featherstone

37

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(da)

whether there is evidence to corroborate the evidence of the witness;’.

David Howarth

Chris Huhne

Tom Brake

Lynne Featherstone

38

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  27,  at end insert—

‘(da)

whether there is evidence of the witness (either alone or in combination

with the evidence of other witnesses subject to an order) is likely to be

the sole or decisive evidence against the defendant;’.

Dr Evan Harris

12

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘( )	whether the circumstances are sufficiently exceptional to justify the making of a

witness anonymity order;’.

Dr Evan Harris

13

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘( )	the gravity of the offence;’.

Dr Evan Harris

14

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘( )	the importance of the witness’s evidence to the case of the party who wishes to

call the witness;’.

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

2988

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

Dr Evan Harris

15

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘( )	whether there is other evidence which corroborates the evidence given by the

witness;’.

Dr Evan Harris

16

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘( )	the extent to which the prosecution’s case is based solely, or to a decisive extent,

on the testimony of the anonymous witness;’.

Mr Andrew Dismore

Mark Fisher

33

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

(f)	that the order should only be made in exceptional circumstances;

(g)	the gravity of the offence;

(h)	the importance of the witness’s evidence to the case of the party who

wishes to call the witness;

(i)	whether there is other evidence that corobarates the witness’s evidence;

(j)	on an application by the prosecutor, whether his case is based solely or to

a decisive extent on the evidence of the witness.’.

Mr Andrew Dismore

Mark Fisher

34

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  30,  at end add—

‘(f)	the strength of the evidence, if any, that the defendant was responsible for

the witness’s fear under section 4(6).’.

Secretary Jack Straw

43

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  35,  leave out ‘section 4’ and insert ‘sections 4 and 5’.

Secretary Jack Straw

44

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  2,  after ‘indictment’, insert ‘with a jury’.

Committee of the whole House: 8th July 2008

2989

Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill, continued

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

29

Clause  9,  page  4,  line  34,  after ‘8’, insert ‘and [Appeal against making or refusal of

order]’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

25

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  8,  leave out ‘could’ and insert ‘would’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

26

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  10,  leave out ‘could’ and insert ‘would’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

27

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  24,  leave out ‘could’ and insert ‘would’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

28

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  2,  leave out ‘could’ and insert ‘would’.

Nick Herbert

Mr Edward Garnier

Mr Nick Hurd

David Howarth

Chris Huhne

Tom Brake

Lynne Featherstone

30

Clause  12,  page  6,  line  18,  leave out ‘a magistrates’ court,’.

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Revised 8 July 2008