Western Australian Consolidated Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 1906 - SECT 106H

106H .         Child’s statement to another admissible in Sch. 7 proceedings

        (1)         In any Schedule 7 proceeding, a relevant statement may, at the discretion of the judge, be admitted in evidence if —

            (a)         there has been given to the accused —

                  (i)         a copy of the statement; or

                  (ii)         if the statement is not recorded in writing or electronically, details of the statement;

                and

            (b)         the accused is given the opportunity to cross-examine the affected child.

        (2)         If a relevant statement is to be admitted, evidence of the making and content of the affected child’s statement shall be given by the person to whom the affected child made the statement.

        (2a)         Subsection (1) does not affect the operation of section 106G.

        (2b)         If a person to whom an affected child made a relevant statement makes a written statement in accordance with Schedule 3 clause 4(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2004 , the written statement is admissible.

        (2c)         A relevant statement recorded on a visual recording is admissible to the same extent as if it were given orally in the proceeding in accordance with the usual rules and practice of the court concerned.

        (3)         In this section relevant statement means a statement that —

            (a)         relates to any matter in issue in the proceeding; and

            (b)         was made by the affected child to another person before the proceeding was commenced,

                whether the statement is recorded in writing or electronically or not, but does not include a visually recorded interview.

        [Section 106H inserted by No. 36 of 1992 s. 8; amended by No. 71 of 2000 s. 19; No. 46 of 2004 s. 14(3) and 19; No. 59 of 2004 s. 89; No. 84 of 2004 s. 37 and 82.]