19 Dec 2017
R v AITCHISON – COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT [2017] NZHC 3222
- Citation
- [2017] NZHC 3222
- Court
- High Court
The Court held that a communications assistant may conduct simplified, pre-recorded cross-examination questions under s80 Evidence Act 2006 and that the judge may delegate to the communications assistant the task of informing the witness of the importance of telling the truth under s77(4)(b), provided the process is supervised by the court and necessary safeguards are implemented (pre-trial conferences, advance approval of questions, test-of-concept questions, controlled viewing of prior EVI, recording, AVL for defendant, and ground rules).