Queensland Consolidated Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 1977 - SECT 9E

9E Principles for dealing with a child witness

(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.

(2) The following general principles apply when dealing with a child witness in a proceeding—

(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.

(3) In this section—

"child" means a child under 16 years.