South Australia
Evidence Act 1929
An Act to consolidate certain Acts relating to evidence.

Contents
Part 1—Preliminary
1	Short title
4	Interpretation
5	Application of Act (prima facie) to all courts and enabling only
Part 2—Witnesses
6	Oaths, affirmations etc
7	Oaths or affirmations taken before a court
9	Unsworn evidence
12	Evidence of young children
12A	Warning relating to uncorroborated evidence of child in criminal proceedings
12AB	Pre‑trial special hearings
13	Special arrangements for protecting witnesses from embarrassment, distress etc when giving evidence
13A	Special arrangements for protecting vulnerable witnesses when giving evidence in criminal proceedings
13B	Cross‑examination of certain witnesses
13BA	Admissibility of recorded evidence by certain witnesses in certain criminal proceedings
13C	Court's power to make audio visual record of evidence of vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings
13D	Court's power to admit evidence taken in earlier proceedings
14	Entitlement of a witness to be assisted by an interpreter
14A	Entitlement of witness to be given communication assistance in certain circumstances
15	Witness not disqualified by interest or crime
16	Parties, their wives and husbands competent and compellable in civil proceedings
18	Accused persons competent to give evidence
18A	Abolition of right to make unsworn statement
21	Competence and compellability of witnesses
22	Certain questions may be disallowed
23	Rules as to relevancy
24	Disallowance of certain questions in cross-examination
25	Disallowance of inappropriate questions
26	Proof of previous conviction of witness may be given
27	How far a party may discredit his or her own witness
28	Proof of contradictory statements of adverse witness
29	Cross-examination as to previous statements in writing
29A	Victim who is a witness entitled to be present in court unless court orders otherwise
Part 3—Miscellaneous rules of evidence
Division 1—Miscellaneous rules of evidence in general cases
30	As to comparison of disputed writing
31	Attesting witness need not be called in certain cases
33	Disclosure in action for defamation
34	Admissions by accused persons
34A	Proof of commission of offence
34AB	Identification evidence
34C	Admissibility of documentary evidence as to facts in issue
34CB	Direction relating to delay where defendant forensically disadvantaged
34D	Weight to be attached to evidence
34E	Proof of instrument to validity of which attestation is necessary
34F	Presumptions as to documents twenty years old
34G	Interpretation and savings
34J	Special provision for taking evidence where witness is seriously ill
34K	Admissibility of depositions at trial
34KA	Admissibility of evidence of out of court statements by unavailable witnesses
34KB	Credibility
34KC	Stopping the case where evidence is unconvincing
34KD	Court's general discretion to exclude evidence
Division 2—Miscellaneous rules of evidence in sexual cases
34L	Evidence in sexual cases generally
34LA	Admissibility of evidence of out of court statements by certain alleged victims of sexual offences
34M	Evidence relating to complaint in sexual cases
34N	Directions relating to consent in certain sexual cases
Division 3—Admissibility of evidence showing discreditable conduct or disposition
34O	Application of Division
34P	Evidence of discreditable conduct
34Q	Use of evidence for other purposes
34R	Trial directions
34S	Certain matters excluded from consideration of admissibility
34T	Severance
Part 4—Documents and other records
Division 1—Public Acts and documents
35	Judicial notice of legislative instruments
36	Proof of votes and proceedings of Parliament
37	Evidentiary value of official publications
37A	Proof of Gazette
37B	Proof of printing by Government Printer
37C	Proof of Imperial orders-in-Council
38	Foreign and Colonial Acts of State, judgments etc provable by copies
39	Public documents provable by examined or certified copy
40	Proof of documents by examined or certified copies
41	Certifying a false document
Division 2—Proof of convictions, acquittals etc
42	Proof of conviction or acquittal of an indictable offence
43	Proof of convictions and orders of courts of summary jurisdiction
43A	Proof of identity of person convicted in another State
Division 3—Documents relating to ships or transport
44	Registers of British vessels and certificates of registry admissible as prima facie evidence of their contents
45	Documents relating to transportation of persons or goods
Division 4—Banking records
46	Interpretation
47	Admission of banking record in evidence
48	Evidence of non-existence of account may be given by affidavit
49	Power to order inspection of banking records etc
50	Bank not compellable to produce records except under order
51	Costs occasioned by default of bank
Division 5—Other documents and records
52	Admission of certain documents in evidence
53	Admission of business records in evidence
Division 6—Matters relating to communications
54	Electronic communications
55	Telegrams and lettergrams
Division 7—Miscellaneous
56	Evidence produced by processes, machines and other devices
57	Modification of best evidence rule
Part 6B—Obtaining evidence from outside a court's territorial jurisdiction
59D	Interpretation
59E	Taking of evidence outside the State
59F	Power of South Australian Court to take evidence on request
59G	Depositions to be signed
59H	Transmission of request
59I	Saving provision
Part 6C—Use of audio and audio visual links
Division 1—Preliminary
59IA	Interpretation
59IB	Transitional
59IC	Application of Part
Division 2—Use of interstate audio or audio visual link in proceedings before South Australian courts
59ID	Application of this Division
59IE	State courts may take evidence and submissions from outside State
59IF	Expenses
59IG	Counsel entitled to practise
Division 3—Use of interstate audio or audio visual link in proceedings in participating States
59IH	Application of Division
59II	Recognised courts may take evidence or receive submissions from persons in South Australia
59IJ	Powers of recognised courts
59IK	Orders made by recognised court
59IL	Enforcement of order
59IM	Privileges, protection and immunity of participants in proceedings in courts of participating States
59IN	Recognised court may administer oath in South Australia
59IO	Assistance to recognised court
59IP	Contempt of recognised courts
Division 4—Use of audio visual link or audio link generally
59IQ	Appearance etc by audio visual link or audio link
59IR	Communication between lawyer and client
Part 7—General provisions
Division 1—Power to dispense with formal proof
59J	Court's power to dispense with formal proof
Division 2—Notice of action
60	Sufficiency of notice of action
Division 3—Facilitation of proof of certain matters
62	Proof of "public place" in certain cases
62A	Proof of place being within municipality etc
63	Proof of foreign law
63A	Evidence as to foreign law
64	Proof of matters of history, science etc
65	Reference by court to books, official certificates etc
65A	Proof of age
Division 4—Taking affidavits etc outside the State
66	Taking of affidavits out of the State
66A	Taking of affidavits out of the State by sailors, soldiers and airmen
67	Extension of provisions relating to affidavits to attestation etc of other documents
Division 5—Admission of official documents in evidence
67A	Admissibility of documents without proof of seal etc
Division 6—Power of foreign authority to take evidence
67AB	Taking of evidence in this State by foreign authorities
Division 7—Select Committee evidence
67B	Evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry into Prostitution
Division 8—Evidence of settlement negotiations
67C	Exclusion of evidence of settlement negotiations
Division 9—Protected communications
67D	Interpretation
67E	Certain communications to be protected by public interest immunity
67F	Evidence of protected communications
Division 10—Sensitive material
67G	Interpretation and application
67H	Meaning of sensitive material
67HA	Court may give access to certain sensitive material in certain circumstances
67I	Procedures for giving restricted access to sensitive material
67J	Improper dissemination of sensitive material
Part 8—Publication of evidence
Division 1—Preliminary
68	Interpretation
Division 2—Orders for clearing court or suppressing publication of evidence etc
69	Order for clearing court
69A	Suppression orders
69AB	Review of suppression orders
69AC	Appeal against suppression order etc
69B	Appeals
70	Disobedience to orders under this Division
71	Attorney-General to provide annual report
Division 3—Sexual cases
71A	Restriction on reporting on sexual offences
Division 4—Cases generally
71B	Publishers required to report result of certain proceedings
71C	Restriction on reporting of proceedings following acquittals
Part 9—Miscellaneous
73	Regulations
Schedule 1—Review of identity parade evidence
1	Review and report on section 34AB
Schedule 4—Affidavit about proof of identity of person convicted in another State or Territory
Legislative history

The Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows:
Part 1—Preliminary
1—Short title
This Act may be cited as the Evidence Act 1929.
4—Interpretation
	(1)	In this Act, unless some other intention is expressed, or implied by the context—
child means a person under the age of 18 years;
cognitive impairment includes the following:
	(a)	a developmental disability (including, for example, an intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or an autistic spectrum disorder);
	(b)	an acquired disability as a result of illness or injury (including, for example, dementia, a traumatic brain injury or a neurological disorder);
	(c)	a mental illness;
communication partner means a person, or a person of a class, approved by the Minister for the purposes of providing assistance in proceedings to a witness with complex communication needs;
court includes a tribunal, authority or person invested by law with judicial or quasi-judicial powers, or with authority to make any inquiry or to receive evidence;
domestic partner means a person who is a domestic partner within the meaning of the Family Relationships Act 1975, whether declared as such under that Act or not;
judge includes the member or members of any court having authority to admit evidence;
legal proceeding or proceeding includes any action, trial, inquiry, cause, or matter, whether civil or criminal, in which evidence is or may be given and includes an arbitration;
serious offence against the person means—
	(a)	attempted murder; or
	(b)	attempted manslaughter; or
	(c)	a sexual offence; or
	(d)	—
	(i)	an offence of stalking under section 19AA of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935; or
	(ii)	an offence of causing serious harm under section 23 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935; or
	(iii)	an offence involving an unlawful threat to kill or endanger life; or
	(iv)	an offence involving abduction; or
	(v)	an offence involving blackmail; or
	(vi)	an attempt to commit, or assault with intent to commit, any of the offences in the preceding subparagraphs;
sexual offence means—
	(a)	rape; or
	(ab)	compelled sexual manipulation; or
	(b)	indecent assault; or
	(c)	any offence involving unlawful sexual intercourse or an act of gross indecency; or
	(d)	incest; or
	(da)	any offence involving sexual exploitation or abuse of a child, or exploitation of a child as an object of prurient interest; or
	(db)	an offence of sexual exploitation of a person with a cognitive impairment under section 51 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935; or
	(e)	any attempt to commit, or assault with intent to commit, any of the foregoing offences;
spouse—a person is the spouse of another if they are legally married;
statement includes a statement however made;
sworn evidence means evidence given under the obligation of an oath or an affirmation; and unsworn evidence has a corresponding meaning;
electric telegraph means any system of telecommunication operated by the Australian Telecommunication Commission or any other authority approved by proclamation;
telegraphic message means any message or other communication transmitted, or intended for transmission, or purporting to have been transmitted, by electric telegraph;
telegraph station means a station established or used by the Australian Telecommunication Commission or other authority approved by proclamation for the receipt or transmission of telegraphic messages;
vulnerable witness means—
	(a)	a witness who is under 16 years of age; or
	(b)	a witness who is cognitively impaired; or
	(c)	a witness who is the alleged victim of an offence to which the proceedings relate—
	(i)	where the offence is a serious offence against the person; or
	(ii)	in any other case—where, because of the circumstances of the witness or the circumstances of the case, the witness would, in the opinion of the court, be specially disadvantaged if not treated as a vulnerable witness; or
	(d)	a witness who—
	(i)	has been subjected to threats of violence or retribution in connection with the proceedings; or
	(ii)	has reasonable grounds to fear violence or retribution in connection with the proceedings; or
	(e)	in the case of proceedings for a serious and organised crime offence (within the meaning of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935)—a person who will only consent to being a witness in the proceedings if he or she is treated as a vulnerable witness for the purposes of the proceedings;
young child means a child of or under the age of 14 years.
	(2)	For the purposes of this Act, a witness who is to give oral evidence in proceedings will be taken to have complex communication needs if the witness's ability to give the evidence is significantly affected by a difficulty to communicate effectively with the court, whether the communication difficulty is temporary or permanent and whether caused by disability, illness, injury or some other cause.
	(3)	However, a witness who is to give oral evidence in proceedings whose native language is not English will not be taken to have complex communication needs merely because the witness is not reasonably fluent in English (although the witness may be entitled to give the evidence through an interpreter under section 14).
5—Application of Act (prima facie) to all courts and enabling only
The provisions of this Act, unless an intention to the contrary is expressed, or appears or is implied by the context—
	(a)	apply to every proceeding before any court whatever; and
	(b)	are in addition to, and not in derogation of, any rules of evidence, or power, or right, or duty in relation to procedure or evidence, whether existing at common law, or provided for by any law, at any time, in force in the State.

Part 2—Witnesses
6—Oaths, affirmations etc
	(1)	An oath shall be administered and taken as follows:
	(a)	the person taking the oath shall hold a copy of the Bible (being a book that contains the New Testament, the Old Testament or both) in his hand and, after the oath has been tendered to him, shall say "I swear"; or
	(b)	in any other manner and form which the person taking the oath declares to be binding on his conscience; or
	(c)	in any other manner or form authorised or permitted by law.
	(2)	Where an oath has been lawfully administered and taken, the fact that the person taking the oath had no religious belief, or that the oath was not taken so as to be binding on his conscience, shall not affect, at law, the validity or effect of the oath.
	(3)	A person is permitted, and should be offered the choice, to make an affirmation instead of an oath in all circumstances in which, and for all purposes for which, an oath is required or permitted by law.
	(4)	An affirmation is to be administered to a person by asking the person "Do you solemnly and truly affirm" followed by the words of the appropriate oath (omitting any words of imprecation or calling to witness) after which the person must say "I do solemnly and truly affirm".
	(5)	Every affirmation has, at law, the same force and effect as an oath.
	(6)	No oath or affirmation is invalid by reason of a procedural or formal error or deficiency.
7—Oaths or affirmations taken before a court
	(1)	Every court has authority to administer an oath or an affirmation.
	(2)	Where an oath or affirmation is to be taken before a court, or in connection with proceedings before a court, it may be administered by—
	(a)	the court itself; or
	(b)	an officer of the court; or
	(c)	any person authorised by the court to administer the oath or affirmation; or
	(d)	any other person authorised by law to administer the oath or affirmation.
9—Unsworn evidence
	(1)	A person is presumed to be capable of giving sworn evidence in any proceedings unless the judge determines that the person does not have sufficient understanding of the obligation to be truthful entailed in giving sworn evidence.
	(2)	If the judge determines that a person does not have sufficient understanding of the obligation to be truthful entailed in giving sworn evidence, the judge may permit the person to give unsworn evidence provided that—
	(a)	the judge—
	(i)	is satisfied that the person understands the difference between the truth and a lie; and
	(ii)	tells the person that it is important to tell the truth; and
	(b)	the person indicates that he or she will tell the truth.
	(3)	In determining a question under this section, the judge is not bound by the rules of evidence, but may inform himself or herself as the judge thinks fit.
	(4)	If unsworn evidence is given under this section in a criminal trial, the judge—
	(a)	must explain to the jury the reason the evidence is unsworn; and
	(b)	may, and if a party so requests must, warn the jury of the need for caution in determining whether to accept the evidence and the weight to be given to it.
	(5)	A justice to whom it appears that a person who desires to lay a complaint or information does not have sufficient understanding of the obligation to be truthful entailed in giving sworn evidence may ascertain by inquiry the subject matter of the complaint or information and reduce it into the appropriate form, and any action or proceedings may be taken on the complaint or information in all respects as if the complainant or informant had deposed to the truth of the contents on oath or affirmation.
	(6)	Subject to this Act, this section does not apply to a statement made outside of a court admitted as evidence in any proceedings under an exception to the rule against hearsay at common law or under this Act.
12—Evidence of young children
	(4)	A young child who is called as a witness is, while giving evidence, entitled to have present in the court, and within reasonable proximity, a person of his or her choice to provide emotional support (but the person must not interfere in the proceedings).
	(5)	Unless the court otherwise allows, a witness or prospective witness in the proceedings cannot be chosen under subsection (4) to provide emotional support for a young child.
12A—Warning relating to uncorroborated evidence of child in criminal proceedings
	(1)	In a criminal trial, a judge must not warn the jury that it is unsafe to convict on a child's uncorroborated evidence unless—
	(a)	the warning is warranted because there are, in the circumstances of the particular case, cogent reasons, apart from the fact that the witness is a child, to doubt the reliability of the child's evidence; and
	(b)	a party asks that the warning be given.
	(2)	In giving any such warning, the judge is not to make any suggestion that the evidence of children is inherently less credible or reliable, or requires more careful scrutiny, than the evidence of adults.
12AB—Pre‑trial special hearings
	(1)	Subject to this section, if—
	(a)	the evidence of a witness to whom this section applies is necessary for the purposes of the trial of a charge of an offence to which this section applies; and
	(b)	the facilities necessary to take the evidence of the witness are readily available to the court and it is otherwise practicable to make arrangements for a special hearing to be convened as a proceeding preliminary to the trial (a pre‑trial special hearing); and
	(c)	the arrangements can be made without prejudice to any party to the proceedings,
the court should, on application under this section, order that arrangements be made relating to the giving of evidence by the witness at a pre‑trial special hearing.
	(2)	An order for a pre‑trial special hearing—
	(a)	must make provision for each of the following matters:
	(i)	that a hearing be convened as a proceeding preliminary to the trial of the charge of the offence for the purpose of taking the evidence of the witness in any setting that the court thinks fit in the circumstances (including an informal setting);
	(ii)	if the witness has a physical disability or cognitive impairment—that the evidence be taken in a particular way (to be specified by the court) that will, in the court's opinion, facilitate the taking of evidence from the witness or minimise the witness's embarrassment or distress (including, if the witness has complex communication needs, with such communication assistance as may be specified by the court);
Note—
Communication assistance for a witness may be provided, for example, by a communication partner or by using a device (such as a speak‑and‑spell communication device).
	(iii)	that an audio visual record of the evidence be made;
	(iv)	that the taking of evidence at the hearing be transmitted to the defendant by means of closed circuit television;
	(v)	if the defendant attends the hearing in person—that appropriate measures be taken to prevent the witness and the defendant from directly seeing or hearing each other before, during or after the hearing; and
	(b)	may make provision for the witness to be accompanied at the hearing by a relative, friend or other person for the purpose of providing emotional support; and
	(c)	may specify that the hearing is convened for any (or all) of the following purposes:
	(i)	examination of the witness;
	(ii)	cross‑examination of the witness;
	(iii)	re‑examination of the witness; and
	(d)	may make provision for any other matter that the court thinks fit.
	(3)	An order for a pre‑trial special hearing must not be made if the effect of the order would be—
	(a)	to relieve a witness from the obligation to give evidence; or
	(b)	to relieve a witness from the obligation to submit to cross‑examination; or
	(c)	to prevent the judge or defendant from observing the witness's demeanour in giving evidence (but the observation may be direct or by live transmission of the witness's voice and image); or
	(d)	to prevent the defendant from instructing counsel while the witness is giving evidence.
	(4)	If a witness to whom this section applies is accompanied by a person for the purpose of providing emotional support or communication assistance—
	(a)	the accompanying person must be visible to the judge while the witness is giving evidence; and
	(b)	if the defendant is prevented from seeing the accompanying person directly while the witness is giving evidence—the court must ensure that the defendant is able to observe that person by direct transmission of images of the witness together with that person while the witness is giving evidence; and
	(c)	the audio visual record of the evidence must show the accompanying person throughout the taking of the evidence.
	(5)	A person may only provide communication assistance—
	(a)	if the person—
	(i)	is a communication partner or has been approved by the court to provide such assistance to the witness; and
	(ii)	takes an oath or makes an affirmation that he or she will communicate accurately with both the witness and the court; and
	(b)	in a case where a party to the proceedings disputes the person's ability or impartiality in providing communication assistance—if the judge is satisfied as to the person's ability and impartiality.
	(6)	The fact that a person has provided communication assistance to a witness in a pre‑trial special hearing under this section does not of itself prevent that person also from being called as a witness in the trial of the charge of the offence or in any other relevant proceedings.
	(7)	An application for a pre‑trial special hearing order must—
	(a)	be made in writing by the party calling the witness to whom this section applies to give evidence; and
	(b)	be filed in the court as a proceeding preliminary to the commencement of the trial; and
	(c)	within 14 days of being filed in the court—be served on the other party to the proceedings (the respondent); and
	(d)	specify why the witness is a witness to whom this section applies and the reasons why the special hearing is sought; and
	(e)	otherwise be made in accordance with the rules of court.
	(8)	The respondent may, if of the opinion that the witness on whose behalf the application has been made is not in fact a witness to whom this section applies, within 14 days of being served with the application (the prescribed period), file an answering document in the court objecting to the application on that ground.
	(9)	If an objection to the application is filed within the prescribed period, the court must determine the application before the commencement of the trial—
	(a)	in the absence of the applicant and respondent; or
	(b)	by conducting a hearing in a room closed to the public.
	(10)	If no objection to the application is filed within the prescribed period, the court must, subject to subsection (1)(b) and (c), make a pre‑trial special hearing order pursuant to this section.
	(11)	A pre‑trial special hearing order may be made, varied or revoked on the court's own initiative, or on the application of a party to the proceedings.
	(12)	A determination or order made by a judge under this section is binding on the judge presiding at the trial of the defendant, whether the trial is the first or a new trial following a stay of the proceedings, discontinuance of an earlier trial or an appeal, unless the trial judge considers that it would not be in the interests of justice for the determination or order to be binding or the determination or order is inconsistent with an order made on such an appeal.
	(13)	Subject to section 13BA, an audio visual record of the evidence of a witness made at a pre‑trial special hearing is admissible as evidence of the witness in the trial of a charge of an offence to which this section applies.
	(14)	In this section—
trial of a charge of an offence to which this section applies means—
	(a)	the trial of a charge of a serious offence against the person; or
	(b)	the trial of a charge of an offence of contravening or failing to comply with an intervention order under the Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009; or
	(c)	the trial of a charge of an offence of contravening or failing to comply with a restraining order under the Summary Procedure Act 1921;
witness to whom this section applies means—
	(a)	a young child; or
	(b)	a person with a disability that adversely affects the person's capacity to give a coherent account of the person's experiences or to respond rationally to questions.
13—Special arrangements for protecting witnesses from embarrassment, distress etc when giving evidence
	(1)	Subject to this section, if—
	(a)	it is desirable to make special arrangements for taking evidence from a witness in a trial in order to protect the witness from embarrassment or distress, to protect the witness from being intimidated by the atmosphere of the courtroom or for any other proper reason; and
	(b)	the facilities necessary for the special arrangements are readily available to the court and it is otherwise practicable to make the special arrangements; and
	(c)	the special arrangements can be made without prejudice to any party to the proceedings,
the court should, on its own initiative, order that special arrangements be made for taking the evidence of the witness.
	(2)	Without limiting the kind of order that may be made under this section, the court may make 1 or more of the following orders:
	(a)	an order that the evidence be given outside the trial court and transmitted to the trial court by means of closed circuit television;
	(b)	an order that the evidence be taken outside the trial court, and that an audio visual record of the evidence be made and replayed in the trial court;
	(c)	an order that a screen, partition or one-way glass be placed to obscure the view of a party to whom the evidence relates or some other person;
	(d)	an order that a defendant be excluded from the place where the evidence is taken, or otherwise be prevented from directly seeing and hearing the witness while giving evidence;
	(e)	an order that the witness be accompanied by a relative or friend for the purpose of providing emotional support;
	(f)	if the witness has a physical disability or cognitive impairment—an order that the evidence be taken in a particular way (to be specified by the court) that will, in the court's opinion, facilitate the taking of evidence from the witness or minimise the witness's embarrassment or distress.
	(3)	The court may, if of the opinion that expert evidence would assist the court to determine the special arrangements that should be made for taking the evidence of the witness, receive such evidence and, if the native language of the witness is not English and the witness is not reasonably fluent in English, evidence about any additional difficulty that may be caused by the witness giving evidence through an interpreter.
	(4)	Special arrangements made under this section may relate to the witness's evidence as a whole or to particular aspects of the witness's evidence, such as cross‑examination and re‑examination.
	(5)	An order must not be made under this section if the effect of the order would be—
	(a)	to relieve a witness from the obligation to give sworn evidence; or
	(b)	to relieve a witness from the obligation to submit to cross‑examination; or
	(c)	to prevent the judge, jury or defendant from observing the witness's demeanour in giving evidence (but the observation may be direct or by live transmission of the witness's voice and image or by replay of a recording of the witness's voice and image); or
	(d)	to prevent the defendant from instructing counsel while the witness is giving evidence.
	(6)	If a witness is accompanied by a relative or friend for the purpose of providing emotional support, that person must be visible to the judge and jury (if any) while the witness is giving evidence and, if, in consequence of an order under this section, a party is prevented from seeing that person directly while the witness gives evidence, the court must ensure that the party is able to observe that person either—
	(a)	by direct transmission of images of the witness together with that person while the witness is giving evidence; or
	(b)	by the later replay of a recording of images of the witness together with that person made while the witness was giving evidence.
	(7)	If, in a criminal trial, a court makes special arrangements for taking the evidence of a witness, the judge must warn the jury not to draw from that fact any inference adverse to the defendant, and not to allow the special arrangements to influence the weight to be given to the evidence.
	(8)	An order under this section may be made, varied or revoked on the court's own initiative, or on the application of a party or witness.
13A—Special arrangements for protecting vulnerable witnesses when giving evidence in criminal proceedings
	(1)	Subject to this section, if—
	(a)	a vulnerable witness is to give evidence in criminal proceedings; and
	(b)	the facilities necessary for the special arrangements are readily available to the court and it is otherwise practicable to make the special arrangements; and
	(c)	the special arrangements can be made without prejudice to any party to the proceedings,
the court must, on application under this section, order that special arrangements be made for taking the evidence of the witness.
	(2)	Without limiting the kind of order that may be made under this section, the court may make 1 or more of the following orders:
	(a)	an order that the evidence be given outside the trial court and transmitted to the trial court by means of closed circuit television;
	(b)	an order that the evidence be taken outside the trial court, and that an audio visual record of the evidence be made and replayed in the trial court;
	(c)	an order that a screen, partition or one‑way glass be placed to obscure the view of a party to whom the evidence relates or some other person;
	(d)	an order that a defendant be excluded from the place where the evidence is taken, or otherwise be prevented from directly seeing and hearing the vulnerable witness while giving evidence;
	(e)	an order that the evidence be taken in a particular way (to be specified by the court) that will, in the court's opinion, facilitate the taking of evidence from the vulnerable witness or minimise the witness's embarrassment or distress, including (for example)—
	(i)	that the witness be accompanied by a relative, friend or other person for the purpose of providing emotional support; and
	(ii)	if the witness has a physical disability or cognitive impairment—that the evidence be taken in a particular way (to be specified by the court) that will, in the court's opinion, facilitate the taking of evidence from the witness or minimise the witness's embarrassment or distress (including, if the witness has complex communication needs, with such communication assistance as may be specified by the court); and
Note—
Communication assistance for a vulnerable witness with complex communication needs may be provided, for example, by a communication partner or by using a device (such as a speak‑and‑spell communication device).
	(iii)	that extra allowance be made for breaks during, and time to be given for, the taking of evidence; and
	(iv)	that, while the evidence is being taken, the judge and any lawyer present in the court not wear a wig or gown (or both).
	(3)	Special arrangements made under this section may relate to the vulnerable witness's evidence as a whole or to particular aspects of the witness's evidence, such as cross‑examination and re‑examination.
	(4)	An order must not be made under this section if the effect of the order would be—
	(a)	to relieve a vulnerable witness from the obligation to give sworn evidence; or
	(b)	to relieve a vulnerable witness from the obligation to submit to cross‑examination; or
	(c)	to prevent the judge, jury or defendant from observing the vulnerable witness's demeanour in giving evidence (but the observation may be direct or by live transmission of the witness's voice and image or by replay of a recording of the witness's voice and image); or
	(d)	to prevent the defendant from instructing counsel while the vulnerable witness is giving evidence.
	(5)	If a vulnerable witness is accompanied by a person for the purpose of providing emotional support or communication assistance, that person must be visible to the judge and jury (if any) while the witness is giving evidence and, if, in consequence of an order under this section, a party is prevented from seeing that person directly while the witness gives evidence, the court must ensure that the party is able to observe that person either—
	(a)	by direct transmission of images of the witness together with that person while the witness is giving evidence; or
	(b)	by the later replay of a recording of images of the witness together with that person made while the witness was giving evidence.
	(5a)	A person may only provide communication assistance to a witness—
	(a)	if the person—
	(i)	is a communication partner or has been approved by the court to provide such assistance to the witness; and
	(ii)	takes an oath or makes an affirmation that he or she will communicate accurately with both the witness and the court; and
	(b)	in a case where a party to the proceedings disputes the person's ability or impartiality in providing communication assistance—if the judge is satisfied as to the person's ability and impartiality.
	(5b)	The fact that a person has provided communication assistance to a witness in proceedings under this section does not of itself prevent that person also from being called as a witness to give evidence in the proceedings or in any other relevant proceedings.
	(6)	An application for an order under this section must—
	(a)	be made in writing by the party calling the vulnerable witness to give evidence; and
	(b)	be filed in the court before the commencement of the trial; and
	(c)	within 14 days of being filed in the court—be served on the other party to the proceedings (the respondent); and
	(d)	specify the nature of the vulnerability of the witness, the special arrangements sought and the reasons for the arrangements; and
	(e)	otherwise be made in accordance with the rules of court.
	(7)	The respondent may, if of the opinion that the witness on whose behalf the application has been made is not in fact a vulnerable witness, within 14 days of being served with the application (the prescribed period), file an answering document in the court objecting to the application on that ground.
	(8)	If an objection to the application is filed within the prescribed period, the court must determine the application before the commencement of the trial—
	(a)	in the absence of the applicant and respondent; or
	(b)	by conducting a hearing in a room closed to the public.
	(9)	The court may, if of the opinion that expert evidence would assist the court to determine the special arrangements that should be made for taking the evidence of the vulnerable witness, receive such evidence and, if the native language of the witness is not English and the witness is not reasonably fluent in English, evidence about any additional difficulty that may be caused by the witness giving evidence through an interpreter.
	(10)	If no objection to the application is filed within the prescribed period, the court may order that appropriate special arrangements be made for taking the evidence of the vulnerable witness at the trial.
	(11)	The court—
	(a)	may dispense with special arrangements for taking the evidence of a vulnerable witness in criminal proceedings if—
	(i)	the witness is an adult; and
	(ii)	the court is satisfied that—
	(A)	the facilities necessary for the special arrangements are not readily available to the court; and
	(B)	taking into account the following matters, it is not reasonably practicable to make the facilities available:
	•	the cost, inconvenience and delay involved in procuring the necessary facilities or in adjourning to some other place where the necessary facilities are available;
	•	the urgency of the proceedings; and
	(b)	must give reasons for its decision.
	(12)	If, in a criminal trial, a court makes special arrangements for taking the evidence of a vulnerable witness, the judge must warn the jury not to draw from that fact any inference adverse to the defendant, and not to allow the special arrangements to influence the weight to be given to the evidence.
	(13)	An order under this section may be made, varied or revoked on the court's own initiative, or on the application of a party to the proceedings.
13B—Cross‑examination of certain witnesses
	(1)	A defendant is not to be permitted to cross‑examine a witness who is the alleged victim of an offence to which this section applies—
	(a)	in a criminal trial unless the cross‑examination is by counsel;
	(b)	in civil proceedings relating to the offence unless—
	(i)	the cross‑examination is by counsel; or
	(ii)	if the defendant is not legally represented in the proceedings—to be undertaken—
	(A)	by the defendant submitting to the judge, in the manner required by the judge, the questions the defendant proposes the witness be asked in cross‑examination and the judge (or the judge's delegate) asking the witness those of the questions submitted that are determined by the judge to be allowable in cross‑examination; or
	(B)	as otherwise directed by the judge.
	(3)	If a defendant is not legally represented in a criminal trial that will involve the taking of evidence from any such witness, the court must ensure that the defendant—
	(a)	has been warned of the limitation on the right of cross‑examination imposed by this section; and
	(b)	has been informed—
	(i)	that he or she may be entitled to legal assistance under the Legal Services Commission Act 1977;
	(ii)	in any case—of his or her rights under the Criminal Law (Legal Representation) Act 2001 to obtain the assistance of counsel for the purpose of cross‑examining the witness; and
	(c)	has had a reasonable opportunity to obtain the assistance of counsel before the evidence is taken.
	(4)	If, in a criminal trial, an unrepresented defendant obtains the assistance of counsel for the purpose of cross‑examining such a witness, the judge must—
	(a)	explain to the jury the limitation imposed by this section on the defendant's right to personally cross‑examine the witness; and
	(b)	warn the jury that no adverse inference may be drawn against the defendant from the requirement for the unrepresented defendant to obtain the assistance of counsel to cross‑examine the witness.
	(5)	In this section—
offence to which this section applies means—
	(a)	a serious offence against the person; or
	(ab)	an aggravated offence under section 20 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935, where the aggravating circumstances of the offence are the circumstances referred to in section 5AA(1)(g) of that Act; or
	(b)	an offence of contravening or failing to comply with an intervention order under the Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009; or
	(c)	an offence of contravening or failing to comply with a restraining order under the Summary Procedure Act 1921.
13BA—Admissibility of recorded evidence by certain witnesses in certain criminal proceedings
	(1)	Subject to this section, the court may, in the trial of a charge of an offence order that the evidence of a witness be admitted in the form of an audio visual record.
	(2)	An application for an order under subsection (1) must—
	(a)	be made in writing by the party wishing to have the audio visual record of the evidence admitted in the trial; and
	(b)	be filed in the court; and
	(c)	within 14 days of being filed in the court—be served on the other party to the proceedings (the respondent); and
	(d)	otherwise be made in accordance with the rules of court.
	(3)	An audio visual record of the evidence of a witness may be admitted under this section if—
	(a)	the recording has been made pursuant to—
	(i)	section 12AB; or
	(ii)	Part 17 Division 3 of the Summary Offences Act 1953; and
	(b)	the court is satisfied as to the witness's capacity to give sworn or unsworn evidence at the time the recording was made; and
	(c)	the court is satisfied that the respondent has been given a reasonable opportunity to view the recording; and
	(d)	during the course of the trial, the witness is available, if required, for further examination, cross‑examination or re‑examination.
	(4)	The court's discretion to exclude evidence is not affected by subsection (3) and the court may—
	(a)	rule as inadmissible the whole or any part of the recording; or 
	(b)	before admitting the recording, order that it be edited so as to exclude evidence that is inadmissible for any reason.
	(5)	Despite subsection (3)(d), the witness cannot be further examined, cross‑examined or re‑examined on the evidence admitted in the trial without the permission of the court which may only be given, on application by a party to the proceedings—
	(a)	if the court is satisfied that a party to the proceedings has, since the making of the audio visual record, become aware of a matter of which the party could not reasonably have been aware at the time the record was made; or
	(b)	if the witness gives evidence in the trial apart from or in addition to evidence admitted under this section in the form of an audio visual record and the court is satisfied that it is in the interests of justice that the witness be further examined, cross‑examined or re‑examined; or
	(c)	if the court is satisfied that it is otherwise in the interests of justice to permit the witness to be further examined, cross‑examined or re‑examined.
	(6)	If a court admits evidence in the form of an audio visual record under this section, the judge must—
	(a)	explain to the jury that the law allows the court to admit evidence in this form; and
	(b)	warn the jury—
	(i)	not to draw from the admission of evidence in that form any inference adverse to the defendant; and
	(ii)	not to allow the admission of evidence in that form to influence the weight to be given to the evidence.
13C—Court's power to make audio visual record of evidence of vulnerable witnesses in criminal proceedings
	(1)	If a vulnerable witness is to give evidence in criminal proceedings, the following provisions apply:
	(a)	in the case of a vulnerable witness who is a child of or under the age of 16 years and who is the alleged victim of a sexual offence—the court must order that an audio visual record be made of the witness's evidence before the court (unless an order has already been made in respect of the witness's evidence under section 12AB(2)(a) or 13A(2)(b));
	(b)	in the case of any other vulnerable witness—the court may, on application by the prosecution, order that an audio visual record be made of the witness's evidence before the court if—
	(i)	the facilities necessary for making an audio visual record of the evidence are readily available to the court; and
	(ii)	it is otherwise practicable to make such a record.
	(2)	Subject to subsection (3), an audio visual record of evidence (whether made by order under this section, section 12AB(2)(a) or 13A(2)(b)) is to be kept in the custody of the court.
	(2a)	Rules of court may be made regulating access to, and responsibility for, an audio visual record in the custody of the court.
	(3)	The court (or a superior court) may authorise a person to take custody of the audio visual record of evidence, or to have some other form of access to it, if satisfied that the custody or access is reasonably necessary for the purposes of related proceedings that have been commenced or are in contemplation.
	(4)	Despite any other law, access to an audio visual record of evidence is not to be allowed except as provided by this section.
13D—Court's power to admit evidence taken in earlier proceedings
	(1)	If, on application by a party to civil or criminal proceedings before a court, the court is satisfied that—
	(a)	evidence given by a witness in earlier criminal proceedings is relevant to the proceedings before the court; and
	(b)	the witness—
	(i)	has died; or
	(ii)	has become too ill or infirm to give evidence; or
	(iii)	has not, after diligent search, been found; or
	(iv)	is a vulnerable witness,
the court in the later proceedings has a discretion to admit an official record of the evidence.
	(2)	An official record of evidence is a record made at the direction or with the approval of the court before which the evidence was taken and, if an audio or audio visual record of the evidence was taken at the direction or with the approval of the court, in addition to a written transcript, the official record of evidence includes the audio or audio visual record.
	(3)	Before the court admits an official record into evidence in proceedings under this section, the record must be edited—
	(a)	as agreed between the parties to those proceedings so as to exclude material that is not relevant to those proceedings; and
	(b)	so as to exclude evidence that is inadmissible in those proceedings for any other reason.
	(4)	If the court admits an official record into evidence under this section, it may relieve the witness, wholly or in part, from an obligation to give evidence in the later proceedings.
14—Entitlement of a witness to be assisted by an interpreter
	(1)	Where—
	(a)	the native language of a witness who is to give oral evidence in any proceedings is not English; and
	(b)	the witness is not reasonably fluent in English,
the witness is entitled to give that evidence through an interpreter.
	(1a)	A person may only act as an interpreter—
	(a)	if the person takes an oath or makes an affirmation to interpret accurately; and
	(b)	in a case where a party to the proceeding disputes the person's ability or impartiality as an interpreter, if the judge is satisfied as to the person's ability and impartiality.
	(2)	An affidavit or other written deposition in a language other than English shall be received in evidence in the same circumstances as an affidavit or other written deposition in English if it has annexed to it—
	(a)	a translation of its contents into English; and
	(b)	an affidavit by the translator to the effect that the translation accurately reproduces in English the contents of the original.
14A—Entitlement of witness to be given communication assistance in certain circumstances
	(1)	Subject to this section, if—
	(a)	a witness in proceedings is a person with complex communication needs; and
	(b)	assistance of a kind to meet the needs of the witness with understanding and communicating with the court during proceedings is readily available and it is otherwise practicable to make the assistance available,
the court may, on application under this section or on its own initiative, order that the evidence be given by the witness using assistance of a kind specified in the order (communication assistance).
	(2)	An order under this section need not be made in respect of a witness if the court is satisfied that the witness is able to understand and communicate with the court during the proceedings, including the ability to answer questions put orally and respond to them.
	(3)	Without limiting the kind of order that may be made under this section, the court may make 1 or more of the following orders:
	(a)	an order that the witness be accompanied by a communication partner;
	(b)	an order that the witness use a device or device of a kind, approved by the court, for the purpose of facilitating the taking of evidence from the witness;
	(c)	an order that the evidence be taken in some other particular way (to be specified by the court) that will, in the court's opinion, facilitate the taking of evidence from the witness.
	(4)	A person may only provide communication assistance to a witness—
	(a)	if the person—
	(i)	is a communication partner or has been approved by the court to provide such assistance to the witness; and
	(ii)	takes an oath or makes an affirmation that he or she will communicate accurately with both the witness and the court; and
	(b)	in a case where a party to the proceeding disputes the person's ability or impartiality in providing communication assistance—if the judge is satisfied as to the person's ability and impartiality.
15—Witness not disqualified by interest or crime
No person shall be excluded from giving evidence on the ground—
	(a)	that he has or may have an interest in the matter in question or in the event of the proceeding, or
	(b)	that he has previously been convicted of any crime or offence.
16—Parties, their wives and husbands competent and compellable in civil proceedings
In any proceeding not being a criminal proceeding the parties thereto and the persons on whose behalf such proceeding is brought or defended, and the husbands and wives of such parties or persons respectively, shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be competent and compellable to give evidence on behalf of either or any of the parties to such proceeding.
18—Accused persons competent to give evidence
	(1)	Every person charged with an offence shall be a competent witness for the defence at every stage of the proceedings, whether the person so charged is charged solely or jointly with any other person: Provided as follows:
	(a)	a person so charged shall not be called as a witness in pursuance of this Act except upon his own application;
	(b)	the failure of any person charged with an offence to give evidence shall not be made the subject of any comment by the prosecution;
	(c)	a person charged and being a witness in pursuance of this Act may be asked any question in cross-examination notwithstanding that it would tend to criminate him as to the offence charged;
	(d)	a person charged and called as a witness in pursuance of this Act shall not be asked, and if asked, shall not be required to answer, any question tending to show that he has committed or been convicted of or been charged with any offence other than that wherewith he is then charged, or is of bad character, unless—
	(i)	the evidence to be elicited by the question is admissible as tending to show that he is guilty or not guilty of the offence with which he is charged; or
	(ii)	he has personally or by his advocate asked questions of the witnesses for the prosecution with a view to establish his own good character or has given evidence of his good character; or
	(iii)	he forfeits the protection of this paragraph by virtue of subsection (2); or
	(iv)	he has given evidence against any other person charged with the same offence;
	(e)	every person called as a witness in pursuance of this Act shall, unless otherwise ordered by the court, give his evidence from the witness box or other place from which the other witnesses give their evidence;
	(f)	nothing herein contained shall affect the provisions of section 110 of the Justices Act 1921.
	(2)	A defendant forfeits the protection of subsection (1)(d) if—
	(a)	the nature or conduct of the defence is such as to involve imputations on the character of the prosecutor or a witness for the prosecution; and
	(b)	the imputations are not such as would necessarily arise from a proper presentation of the defence.
	(3)	Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2), a defendant does not forfeit the protection of subsection (1)(d) by reason of imputations on the character of the prosecutor or a witness for the prosecution arising from evidence of the conduct of the prosecutor or witness—
	(a)	in the events or circumstances on which the charge is based; or
	(b)	in the investigation of those events or circumstances, or in assembling evidence in support of the charge; or
	(c)	in the course of the trial, or proceedings preliminary to the trial.
18A—Abolition of right to make unsworn statement
A person charged with an offence is not entitled to make at the trial for the offence any unsworn statement of fact in defence of the charge (except in the course of giving unsworn evidence under section 9).
21—Competence and compellability of witnesses
	(1)	A close relative of a person charged with an offence is competent and compellable to give evidence for the defence and, subject to this section, is competent and compellable to give evidence for the prosecution.
	(2)	If a person is charged with an offence and a close relative of the accused is required by law (whether by subpoena or other process) to give evidence against the accused in any proceedings related to the charge (including proceedings for the grant, variation or revocation of bail, or an appeal at which fresh evidence is to be taken), the prospective witness may apply to the court for an exemption from the requirement to give evidence against the accused in the proceedings.
	(3)	If, on an application under subsection (2), the court considers that—
	(a)	if the prospective witness were to give evidence, or evidence of a particular kind, against the accused, there would be a substantial risk of—
	(i)	serious harm to the relationship between the prospective witness and the accused; or
	(ii)	serious harm of a material, emotional or psychological nature to the prospective witness; and
	(b)	having regard to the nature and gravity of the alleged offence and the importance to the proceedings of the evidence that the prospective witness is in a position to give, there is insufficient justification for exposing the prospective witness to that risk,
the court may exempt the prospective witness (wholly or in part) from the requirement to give evidence against the accused in the proceedings before the court.
	(4)	A court may, on its own initiative, grant an exemption under subsection (3) where no application has been made under subsection (2) if—
	(a)	the prospective witness who is required by law to give evidence against the accused is a young child or is cognitively impaired; and
	(b)	the court is of the opinion that such an exemption should be granted.
	(5)	Despite subsection (4), in proceedings in which a close relative of an accused person is called as a witness against the accused, the court is not required to make any inquiry about whether the prospective witness—
	(a)	is aware of his or her right to apply for an exemption under this section; or
	(b)	is incapable (whether by reason of age or some other reason) of understanding his or her right to apply for an exemption under this section.
	(6)	If a court is constituted of a judge and jury—
	(a)	an application for an exemption under this section must be heard and determined by the judge in the absence of the jury; and
	(b)	the following matters may not be made the subject of a question put to a witness in the presence of the jury or of any comment to the jury by counsel or the judge:
	(i)	whether or not a person applied for an exemption under this section;
	(ii)	whether or not the court considered granting an exemption under this section;
	(iii)	whether a person has been granted or refused an exemption under this section.
	(7)	A decision or order of a court made under this section, or the failure of a court to make an inquiry under subsection (5), does not give rise to a ground of appeal under section 352(1)(a)(i) or (ii) of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935.
	(8)	This section does not operate to make a person who has been charged with an offence compellable to give evidence in proceedings related to that charge.
	(9)	In this section—
close relative of an accused person means a spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.
22—Certain questions may be disallowed
In any proceeding in any court, whether civil or criminal, the judge may disallow any questions put in cross-examination of any party or other witness which may appear to him to be vexatious and not relevant to any matter proper to be inquired into in the proceeding.
23—Rules as to relevancy
In deciding whether a question affecting the credibility of a witness is relevant, or ought to be allowed, the judge shall have regard to the following considerations:
	(a)	such questions are proper if they are of such a nature that the truth of the imputation conveyed by them would seriously affect the opinion of the court as to the credibility of the witness on the matter to which he testifies;
	(b)	such questions are improper if the imputation which they convey relates to matters so remote in time, or of such a character, that the truth of the imputation would not affect, or would affect only in a slight degree, the opinion of the court as to the credibility of the witness on the matter to which he testifies;
	(c)	such questions are improper if there is a great disproportion between the importance of the imputation made against the witness's character and the importance of his evidence.
24—Disallowance of certain questions in cross-examination
	(1)	If any question put to a witness upon cross-examination relates to a matter not relevant to the proceeding, except in so far as it affects the credit of the witness by injuring his character, it shall be the duty of the court to decide whether or not the witness shall be compelled to answer it, and the court may, if it thinks fit, inform the witness that he is not obliged to answer it.
	(2)	In exercising this discretion the court shall have regard to the considerations referred to in section 23.
25—Disallowance of inappropriate questions
	(1)	A question is an inappropriate question if—
	(a)	the question is misleading or confusing; or
	(ab)	the question is expressed in language that is unnecessarily complicated; or
	(b)	the question is apparently based on a stereotype, including a sexual, racial, ethnic or cultural stereotype or a stereotype based on age or physical or mental disability; or
	(c)	the question is unnecessarily repetitive, offensive or oppressive, or is 1 of a series of questions that is unnecessarily repetitive, offensive or oppressive; or
	(d)	the question is put in a humiliating, insulting or otherwise inappropriate manner or tone.
	(2)	A question is not, however, inappropriate only because—
	(a)	it challenges the truthfulness of the witness, or the consistency or accuracy of statements made by the witness; or
	(b)	it deals with matters the witness would find distasteful or intrudes on the witness's privacy.
	(3)	If an inappropriate question is put to a witness in cross‑examination, the court must—
	(a)	disallow the question; and
	(b)	inform the witness that the question need not be answered.
	(4)	In determining whether a question is inappropriate, the court may take into account—
	(a)	the age, personality and educational level of the witness; and
	(b)	any physical disability or cognitive impairment of the witness; and
	(c)	the witness's ethnic and cultural background; and
	(d)	any other characteristics of the witness that may be relevant; and
	(e)	the context in which the question is put, including—
	(i)	the nature of the proceedings and, if the proceedings are criminal proceedings, the nature of the offence to which they relate; and
	(ii)	the relationship (if any) between the witness and a party to the proceedings; and
	(f)	any other relevant factor.
	(5)	The failure to exercise the discretion in relation to a question does not affect the admissibility of any answer given in response to the question.
26—Proof of previous conviction of witness may be given
A witness may, subject to any other provisions of this Act, be questioned as to whether he has been convicted of any offence, and upon being so questioned, if he either denies or does not admit the fact, or refuses to answer, it shall be lawful for the cross-examining party to prove such conviction.
27—How far a party may discredit his or her own witness
A party producing a witness shall not be allowed to impeach his credit by general evidence of bad character; but if the judge is of opinion that the witness is adverse, the party may—
	(a)	contradict the witness by other evidence; or
	(b)	with the permission of the judge, prove that the witness has made, at any other time, a statement inconsistent with his present testimony: Provided that, before giving such last-mentioned proof, the circumstances of the supposed statement sufficient to designate the particular occasion, must be mentioned to the witness, and he must be asked whether or not he has made the statement.
28—Proof of contradictory statements of adverse witness
If any witness, upon cross-examination as to a former statement made by him, relative to the subject matter of the cause, and inconsistent with his present testimony, does not distinctly admit that he has made the statement, proof may be given that he did in fact make it; but before such proof can be given, the circumstances of the supposed statement, sufficient to designate the particular occasion, must be mentioned to the witness, and he must be asked whether or not he has made the statement.
29—Cross-examination as to previous statements in writing
A witness may be cross-examined as to previous statements made by him in writing, or reduced into writing, relative to the subject matter of the cause, without the writing being shown to him; but if it is intended to contradict the witness by the writing, his attention must, before such contradictory proof can be given, be called to those parts of the writing which are to be used for the purpose of so contradicting him: Provided always, that the judge, at any time during the trial, may require the production of the writing for his inspection; and may thereupon make such use of it, for the purposes of the trial, as he thinks fit.
29A—Victim who is a witness entitled to be present in court unless court orders otherwise
	(1)	A court in a criminal proceeding may only order a victim of the offence who is a witness in the proceeding to leave the courtroom until required to give evidence if the court considers it appropriate to do so, whether to ensure a fair trial or for any other reason.
	(2)	Nothing in this section prevents a court from ordering a victim who is a witness in the proceeding to leave the courtroom at any time after giving evidence if the court considers it appropriate to do so. 

Part 3—Miscellaneous rules of evidence
Division 1—Miscellaneous rules of evidence in general cases
30—As to comparison of disputed writing
Comparison of a disputed writing with any writing proved to the satisfaction of the judge to be genuine shall be permitted to be made by witnesses; and such writings, and the evidence of witnesses respecting the same, may be submitted to the court as evidence of the genuineness or otherwise of the writing in dispute.
31—Attesting witness need not be called in certain cases
It shall not be necessary to prove, by the attesting witness, any instrument to the validity of which attestation is not requisite; and such instrument may be proved by admission or otherwise, as if there had been no attesting witness thereto.
33—Disclosure in action for defamation
	(1)	A person who is required to answer a question, or to disclose or produce a document or thing, in civil proceedings for defamation is not excused from answering the question or disclosing or producing the document or thing on the ground that the answer to the question or the disclosure or production of the document or thing might tend to incriminate the person of an offence.
	(2)	However, any answer given to a question, or document or thing disclosed or produced, by a natural person in compliance with the requirement is not admissible in evidence against the person in any other action or proceedings.
34—Admissions by accused persons
A person may admit on his trial any fact alleged or sought to be proved against him, and such admission shall be sufficient proof of the fact without other evidence: Provided that the admission shall be made by the accused either personally or by his counsel or solicitor in his presence, or, in the case of a body corporate, by its counsel or solicitor.
34A—Proof of commission of offence
Where a person has been convicted of an offence or found by a court exercising criminal jurisdiction to have committed an offence and the commission of the offence is in issue or relevant to an issue in a civil proceeding, the conviction or finding is evidence of the commission of the offence and admissible in the proceeding against the person or a party claiming through or under the person.
34AB—Identification evidence
	(1)	In a criminal trial, evidence of the identity of a person alleged to have committed an offence is not inadmissible, and is not to be excluded, merely because it was obtained other than by means of an identity parade involving a physical line‑up of persons.
	(2)	In a criminal trial, evidence of the identity of a person alleged to have committed an offence obtained by means of an identity parade is to be excluded unless—
	(a)	—
	(i)	an audio visual record of the identity parade is made and kept in accordance with the regulations; and
	(ii)	if the regulations prescribe procedures for the conduct of an identity parade—the identity parade is conducted in accordance with the prescribed procedures; or
	(b)	the judge is satisfied that the interests of justice require the admission of the evidence despite the failure to comply with paragraph (a).
	(3)	In a criminal trial where the identity of a person alleged to have committed an offence is in issue, the judge must, if evidence of the identity of the person is admitted, inform the jury—
	(a)	of the need for caution before accepting identification evidence; and
	(b)	of the reasons for the need for caution, both generally and in the circumstances of the case.
	(4)	In giving any such information, the judge is not required to use any particular form of words but may not suggest that identification evidence obtained from an identity parade by any means other than by a physical line‑up of persons is inherently or intrinsically less reliable than evidence obtained from an identity parade by such means.
	(5)	To avoid doubt, this section does not—
	(a)	make evidence admissible that would otherwise be inadmissible; or
	(b)	affect the court's discretion to exclude evidence.
	(6)	In this section—
identity parade means a contemporaneous presentation (whether by a physical line‑up or by means of images) of a number of persons to a witness for the purpose of identifying a person.
34C—Admissibility of documentary evidence as to facts in issue
	(1)	In any civil proceedings where direct oral evidence of a fact would be admissible, any statement made by a person in a document and tending to establish that fact shall, on production of the original document, be admissible as evidence of that fact if the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say—
	(a)	if the maker of the statement either—
	(i)	had personal knowledge of the matters dealt with by the statement; or
	(ii)	where the document in question is or forms part of a record purporting to be a continuous record, made the statement (in so far as the matters dealt with thereby are not within his personal knowledge) in the performance of a duty to record information supplied to him by a person who had, or might reasonably be supposed to have, personal knowledge of those matters; and
	(b)	if the maker of the statement is called as a witness in the proceedings.
	(1a)	However, the condition that the maker of the statement shall be called as a witness need not be satisfied if he is dead, or unfit by reason of his bodily or mental condition to attend as a witness, or if he is beyond the seas and it is not reasonably practicable to secure his attendance, or if all reasonable efforts to find him have been made without success.
	(2)	In any civil proceedings, the court may at any stage of the proceedings, if having regard to all the circumstances of the case it is satisfied that undue delay or expense would otherwise be caused, order that such a statement as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall be admissible as evidence or may, without any such order having been made, admit such a statement in evidence—
	(a)	notwithstanding that the maker of the statement is available but is not called as a witness;
	(b)	notwithstanding that the original document is not produced, if in lieu thereof there is produced a copy of the original document or of the material part thereof certified to be a true copy in such manner as may be specified in the order or as the court may approve, as the case may be.
	(3)	Nothing in this section shall render admissible as evidence any statement made by a person interested at a time when proceedings were pending or anticipated involving a dispute as to any fact which the statement might tend to establish.
	(4)	For the purposes of this section, a statement in a document shall not be deemed to have been made by a person unless the document or the material part thereof was written, made or produced by him with his own hand, or was signed or initialled by him or otherwise recognised by him in writing as one for the accuracy of which he is responsible.
	(5)	For the purpose of deciding whether or not a statement is admissible as evidence by virtue of the foregoing provisions, the court may draw any reasonable inference from the form or contents of the document in which the statement is contained, or from any other circumstances, and may, in deciding whether or not a person is fit to attend as a witness, act on a certificate purporting to be the certificate of a legally qualified medical practitioner and where the proceedings are with a jury, the court may in its discretion reject the statement notwithstanding that the requirements of this section are satisfied with respect thereto, if for any reason it appears to it to be inexpedient in the interests of justice that the statement should be admitted.
34CB—Direction relating to delay where defendant forensically disadvantaged
	(1)	A rule of law or practice obliging a judge in a trial of a charge of an offence to give a warning of a kind known as a Longman warning is abolished.
Note—
See Longman v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 79
	(2)	If, in a trial of a charge of an offence, the court is of the opinion that the period of time that has elapsed between the alleged offending and the trial has resulted in a significant forensic disadvantage to the defendant, the judge must—
	(a)	explain to the jury the nature of the forensic disadvantage; and
	(b)	direct that the jury must take the forensic disadvantage into account when scrutinising the evidence.
	(3)	An explanation or direction under subsection (2) may not take the form of a warning and—
	(a)	must be specific to the circumstances of the particular case; and
	(b)	must not include the phrase "dangerous or unsafe to convict" or similar words or phrases.
34D—Weight to be attached to evidence
	(1)	In estimating the weight, if any, to be attached to a statement rendered admissible as evidence by this Act, regard shall be had to all the circumstances from which any inference can reasonably be drawn as to the accuracy or otherwise of the statement, and in particular to the question whether or not the statement was made contemporaneously with the occurrence or existence of the facts stated, and to the question whether or not the maker of the statement had any incentive to conceal or misrepresent facts.
	(2)	For the purpose of any rule of law or practice requiring evidence to be corroborated or regulating the manner in which uncorroborated evidence is to be treated, a statement rendered admissible as evidence by this Act shall not be treated as corroboration of evidence given by the maker of the statement.
34E—Proof of instrument to validity of which attestation is necessary
Subject as hereinafter provided, in any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, an instrument to the validity of which attestation is requisite may, instead of being proved by an attesting witness, be proved in the manner in which it might be proved if no attesting witness were alive: Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to the proof of wills or other testamentary documents.
34F—Presumptions as to documents twenty years old
In any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, there shall, in the case of a document proved, or purporting, to be not less than twenty years old, be made any presumption which immediately before the commencement of this Act would have been made in the case of a document of like character proved, or purporting, to be not less than thirty years old.
34G—Interpretation and savings
	(1)	In sections 34C to 34F (inclusive) of this Act—
document includes books, maps, plans, drawings and photographs;
statement includes any representation of fact, whether made in words or otherwise;
proceedings includes arbitrations and references, and court shall be construed accordingly.
	(2)	Nothing in sections 34C to 34F (inclusive) of this Act shall—
	(a)	prejudice the admissibility of any evidence which would apart from the provisions of those sections be admissible; or
	(b)	enable documentary evidence to be given as to any declaration relating to a matter of pedigree, if that declaration would not have been admissible as evidence if those sections had not been enacted.
34J—Special provision for taking evidence where witness is seriously ill
	(1)	Where a person who may be in a position to give information in relation to an indictable offence is dangerously ill and, in the opinion of a medical practitioner, unlikely to recover from the illness, a magistrate or justice may take a statement from that person.
	(2)	The statement is to be a sworn statement unless the magistrate or justice determines that the person making the statement does not have sufficient understanding of the obligation to be truthful entailed in giving sworn evidence.
	(3)	Where a person is subsequently charged with an indictable offence to which the statement is relevant, the statement is admissible in evidence at the preliminary examination or trial of the charge if it is established—
	(a)	that the person from whom the statement was taken is dead or unable to give evidence because of illness or infirmity; and
	(b)	that the prosecutor or defendant (as the case requires) had reasonable notice of the proposal to take evidence and a reasonable opportunity to attend and cross-examine the person.
34K—Admissibility of depositions at trial
	(1)	Where—
	(a)	a statement from a witness is filed or tendered for the purpose of the preliminary examination of a charge of an indictable offence or oral evidence is taken from a witness at a preliminary examination; and
	(b)	the witness subsequently dies or becomes so ill or infirm that he or she cannot give evidence at the trial,
the record of the witness's evidence at the preliminary examination may, with the permission of the court of trial, be read as evidence at the trial.
	(2)	Permission to admit evidence for the prosecution under this section will not be granted if the court considers that admission of the evidence without the opportunity of cross-examination would, in the circumstances of the case, be unfair to the defendant.
34KA—Admissibility of evidence of out of court statements by unavailable witnesses
	(1)	Subject to this section, in prescribed proceedings, a statement not made in oral evidence in the proceedings (an out of court statement) is admissible as evidence of any matter stated if—
	(a)	oral evidence given in the proceedings by the person who made the out of court statement would be admissible as evidence of that matter; and
	(b)	the person who made the out of court statement (the relevant person) is identified to the court's satisfaction; and
	(c)	any 1 of the conditions specified in subsection (2) is satisfied.
	(2)	The conditions are as follows:
	(a)	that the relevant person is dead;
	(b)	that the relevant person is unfit to be a witness because of a bodily or mental condition;
	(c)	that the relevant person is outside of the State and it is not reasonably practicable to secure his or her attendance;
	(d)	that the relevant person cannot be found although such steps as it is reasonably practicable to take to find him or her have been taken;
	(e)	that through fear the relevant person does not give (or does not continue to give) oral evidence in the proceedings, either at all or in connection with the subject matter of the out of court statement, and the court gives leave for the out of court statement to be given in evidence.
	(3)	For the purposes of subsection (2)(e) fear is to be widely construed and includes, for example, fear of the death or injury of another person or of financial loss.
	(4)	Leave may be given under subsection (2)(e) only if the court considers that the out of court statement ought to be admitted in the interests of justice, having regard to—
	(a)	any information (whether or not given in evidence, or of a kind that could be given in evidence) suggesting threats have been made to the witness, whether directly or indirectly; and
	(b)	the statement's contents; and
	(c)	any risk that its admission or exclusion will result in unfairness to a defendant in the proceedings (and in particular to how difficult it will be to challenge the statement if the relevant person does not give oral evidence and the defendant is not able to cross‑examine the person); and
	(d)	any other measures that could be taken by the court in relation to the relevant person; and
	(e)	any other relevant circumstances.
	(5)	A condition set out in any paragraph of subsection (2) which is in fact satisfied is to be treated as not satisfied if it is shown that the circumstances described in that paragraph are caused—
	(a)	by the person in support of whose case it is sought to give the out of court statement in evidence; or
	(b)	by a person acting on his or her behalf, in order to prevent the relevant person giving oral evidence in the proceedings (whether at all or in connection with the subject matter of the out of court statement).
	(6)	Nothing in this section makes an out of court statement admissible as evidence if it was made by a person who was not competent at the time when he or she made the statement.
	(7)	This section is in addition to, and does not derogate from, any other power of a court to admit an out of court statement into evidence.
	(8)	In this section—
prescribed proceedings means—
	(a)	proceedings for a criminal offence; or
	(b)	proceedings under the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008.
34KB—Credibility
	(1)	This section applies if in prescribed proceedings—
	(a)	a statement not made in oral evidence in the proceedings (an out of court statement) is admitted as evidence of a matter stated; and
	(b)	the maker of the out of court statement does not give oral evidence in connection with the subject matter of the statement.
	(2)	In a case to which this section applies—
	(a)	any evidence which (if the person who made the out of court statement had given such evidence) would have been admissible as relevant to the reliability of the statement and the person's credibility as a witness is so admissible in the proceedings; and
	(b)	evidence may, with the court's leave, be given of any matter which (if the person who made the out of court statement had given such evidence) could have been put to the person in cross‑examination as relevant to the reliability of the statement and the person's credibility as a witness but of which evidence could not have been adduced by the cross‑examining party; and
	(c)	evidence tending to prove that the person who made the out of court statement made (at whatever time) any other statement inconsistent with the statement admitted as evidence is admissible for the purpose of showing that the person contradicted himself or herself.
	(3)	If as a result of evidence admitted under this section an allegation is made against the maker of a statement, the court may permit a party to lead additional evidence of such description as the court may specify for the purposes of denying or answering the allegation. 
	(4)	In this section—
prescribed proceedings means—
	(a)	proceedings for a criminal offence; or
	(b)	proceedings under the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008.
34KC—Stopping the case where evidence is unconvincing
	(1)	If on a defendant's trial before a judge and jury for an offence the judge is satisfied at any time after the close of the case for the prosecution that—
	(a)	the case against the defendant is based wholly or partly on a statement not made in oral evidence in the proceedings (an out of court statement); and
	(b)	the evidence provided by the out of court statement is so unconvincing that, considering its importance to the case against the defendant, a conviction of the offence would be unsafe,
the judge must either direct the jury to acquit the defendant of the offence or, if it considers that there ought to be a retrial, discharge the jury.
	(2)	Where—
	(a)	a jury is directed under subsection (1) to acquit a defendant of an offence; and
	(b)	the circumstances are such that, apart from this subsection, the defendant could if acquitted of that offence be found guilty of another offence,
the defendant may not be found guilty of that other offence if the judge is satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1) in respect of it. 
	(3)	This section does not prejudice any other power a judge may have to direct a jury to acquit a person of an offence or to discharge a jury. 
34KD—Court's general discretion to exclude evidence
	(1)	In prescribed proceedings the court may refuse to admit a statement as evidence of a matter stated if—
	(a)	the statement was made otherwise than in oral evidence in the proceedings; and
	(b)	the court is satisfied that the case for excluding the statement, taking account of the danger that to admit it would result in undue waste of time, substantially outweighs the case for admitting it, taking account of the value of the evidence.
	(2)	Nothing in this section derogates from any other power of a court to exclude evidence at its discretion (whether by preventing questions from being put or otherwise).
	(3)	In this section—
prescribed proceedings means—
	(a)	proceedings for a criminal offence; or
	(b)	proceedings under the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Act 2008.

Division 2—Miscellaneous rules of evidence in sexual cases
34L—Evidence in sexual cases generally
	(1)	In proceedings in which a person is charged with a sexual offence, no question may be asked or evidence admitted—
	(a)	as to the sexual reputation of the alleged victim of the offence; or
	(b)	except with the permission of the judge—as to the alleged victim's sexual activities before or after the events of and surrounding the alleged offence (other than recent sexual activities with the accused).
	(2)	In deciding whether permission should be granted under subsection (1)(b), the judge must give effect to the principle that alleged victims of sexual offences should not be subjected to unnecessary distress, humiliation or embarrassment through the asking of questions or admission of evidence of the kind referred to in that subsection, and must not grant permission unless satisfied that the evidence in respect of which permission is sought—
	(a)	is of substantial probative value; or
	(b)	would, in the circumstances, be likely materially to impair confidence in the reliability of the evidence of the alleged victim,
and that its admission is required in the interests of justice.
	(3)	Permission must not be granted under subsection (1)(b) authorising the asking of questions or the admission of evidence the purpose of which is only to raise inferences from some general disposition of the alleged victim.
	(4)	An application for permission under subsection (1)(b) must be heard and determined in the absence of the jury (if any).
	(5)	In a trial of a charge of a sexual offence, the judge is not required by any rule of law or practice to warn the jury that it is unsafe to convict the accused on the uncorroborated evidence of the alleged victim of the offence.
	(6)	Subsection (5) does not affect the operation of any provision of this or any other Act requiring that the evidence of a witness be corroborated.
	(7)	In this section—
evidence includes an allegation or statement made by way of an unsworn statement;
sexual activities includes sexual experience or lack of sexual experience.
34LA—Admissibility of evidence of out of court statements by certain alleged victims of sexual offences
	(1)	In proceedings in which a person is charged with a sexual offence, a statement not made in oral evidence in the proceedings (an out of court statement) is admissible as evidence of any matter stated if—
	(a)	oral evidence given in the proceedings by the person who made the out of court statement would be admissible as evidence of that matter; and
	(b)	the person who made the out of court statement is identified to the court's satisfaction; and
	(c)	each of the conditions specified in subsection (2) is satisfied.
	(2)	The conditions are as follows:
	(a)	the person who made the out of court statement is the alleged victim of the sexual offence;
	(b)	the person will not be called as a witness in the proceedings because the judge is satisfied that, at the time the person made the out of court statement, the person was—
	(i)	a young child; or
	(ii)	a person with a disability that adversely affects the person's capacity to give a coherent account of the person's experiences or to respond rationally to questions;
	(c)	the out of court statement was not made by the person to an investigating or other authority as part of a formal interview process conducted in relation to the alleged offence;
	(d)	after considering the out of court statement, the circumstances in which it was made and any other relevant factor, the judge is of the opinion that the evidence has sufficient probative value to justify its admission.
	(3)	Subsection (2)(b) applies regardless of the age of the person or the person's capacity at the time the judge is considering whether to admit the evidence of the out of court statement in the proceedings.
	(4)	Evidence of an out of court statement admitted under this section may be used to prove the truth of the facts asserted in the statement.
	(5)	If evidence of an out of court statement is admitted under this section, the judge must warn the jury to treat the evidence of the out of court statement with particular care because it has not been tested by way of examination or cross‑examination of the alleged victim.
34M—Evidence relating to complaint in sexual cases
	(1)	This section abolishes the common law relating to recent complaint in sexual cases.
Note—
See Kilby v The Queen (1973) 129 CLR 460; Crofts v The Queen (1996) 186 CLR 427
	(2)	In a trial of a charge of a sexual offence, no suggestion or statement may be made to the jury that a failure to make, or a delay in making, a complaint of a sexual offence is of itself of probative value in relation to the alleged victim's credibility or consistency of conduct.
	(3)	Despite any other rule of law or practice, evidence related to the making of an initial complaint of an alleged sexual offence is admissible in a trial of a charge of the sexual offence.
Examples—
Evidence may be given by any person about—
	•	when the complaint was made and to whom;
	•	the content of the complaint;
	•	how the complaint was solicited;
	•	why the complaint was made to a particular person at a particular time;
	•	why the alleged victim did not make the complaint at an earlier time.
	(4)	If evidence referred to in subsection (3) is admitted in a trial, the judge must direct the jury that—
	(a)	it is admitted—
	(i)	to inform the jury as to how the allegation first came to light; and
	(ii)	as evidence of the degree of consistency of conduct of the alleged victim; and
	(b)	it is not admitted as evidence of the truth of what was alleged; and
	(c)	there may be varied reasons why the alleged victim of a sexual offence has made a complaint of the offence at a particular time or to a particular person,
but that, otherwise, it is a matter for the jury to determine the significance (if any) of the evidence in the circumstances of the particular case.
	(5)	It is not necessary that a particular form of words be used in giving the direction under subsection (4).
	(6)	In this section—
complaint, in relation to a sexual offence, includes a report or any other disclosure (whether to a police officer or otherwise);
initial complaint, in relation to a sexual offence, includes information provided by way of elaboration of the initial complaint (whether provided at the time of the initial complaint or at a later time).
34N—Directions relating to consent in certain sexual cases
	(1)	In a trial of a charge of a sexual offence where a lack of consent of a person in relation to a particular sexual activity is in issue, the judge must direct the jury that the person is not to be regarded as having consented to the sexual activity the subject of the charge merely because—
	(a)	the person did not say or do anything to indicate that he or she did not freely and voluntarily agree to the sexual activity; or
	(b)	the person did not protest to or physically resist the sexual activity; or
	(c)	the person was not physically injured in the course of, or in connection with, the sexual activity; or
	(d)	1 or more of the following circumstances apply:
	(i)	the person freely and voluntarily agreed to sexual activity of a different kind with the defendant;
	(ii)	the person had freely and voluntarily agreed to sexual activity (whether or not of the same kind) with the defendant on an earlier occasion;
	(iii)	the person had, on that or some other occasion, freely and voluntarily agreed to sexual activity (whether or not of the same kind) with another person.
	(2)	The judge must, in a trial referred to in subsection (1), give each of the directions referred to in that subsection as may be applicable in the circumstances of the particular case.
	(3)	In this section—
consent, in relation to a sexual activity, has the same meaning as in the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935;
sexual activity includes sexual intercourse (within the meaning of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935).

Division 3—Admissibility of evidence showing discreditable conduct or disposition
34O—Application of Division
	(1)	This Division applies to the trial of a charge of an offence and prevails over any relevant common law rule of admissibility of evidence to the extent of any inconsistency.
	(2)	This Division does not apply to—
	(a)	evidence adduced pursuant to section 18; or
	(b)	evidence of the character, reputation, conduct or disposition of a person as a fact in issue.
34P—Evidence of discreditable conduct
	(1)	In the trial of a charge of an offence, evidence tending to suggest that a defendant has engaged in discreditable conduct, whether or not constituting an offence, other than conduct constituting the offence (discreditable conduct evidence)—
	(a)	cannot be used to suggest that the defendant is more likely to have committed the offence because he or she has engaged in discreditable conduct; and
	(b)	is inadmissible for that purpose (impermissible use); and
	(c)	subject to subsection (2), is inadmissible for any other purpose.
	(2)	Discreditable conduct evidence may be admitted for a use (the permissible use) other than the impermissible use if, and only if—
	(a)	the judge is satisfied that the probative value of the evidence admitted for a permissible use substantially outweighs any prejudicial effect it may have on the defendant; and
	(b)	in the case of evidence admitted for a permissible use that relies on a particular propensity or disposition of the defendant as circumstantial evidence of a fact in issue—the evidence has strong probative value having regard to the particular issue or issues arising at trial.
	(3)	In the determination of the question in subsection (2)(a), the judge must have regard to whether the permissible use is, and can be kept, sufficiently separate and distinct from the impermissible use so as to remove any appreciable risk of the evidence being used for that purpose.
	(4)	Subject to subsection (5), a party seeking to adduce evidence that relies on a particular propensity or disposition of the defendant as circumstantial evidence of a fact in issue under this section must give reasonable notice in writing to each other party in the proceedings in accordance with the rules of court.
	(5)	The court may, if it thinks fit, dispense with the requirement in subsection (4).
34Q—Use of evidence for other purposes
Evidence that under this Division is not admissible for 1 use must not be used in that way even if it is relevant and admissible for another use.
34R—Trial directions
	(1)	If evidence is admitted under section 34P, the judge must (whether or not sitting with a jury) identify and explain the purpose for which the evidence may, and may not, be used.
	(2)	If evidence is admitted under section 34P and that evidence is essential to the process of reasoning leading to a finding of guilt, the evidence cannot be used unless on the whole of the evidence, the facts in proof of which the evidence was admitted are established beyond reasonable doubt, and the judge must (whether or not sitting with a jury) give a direction accordingly.
34S—Certain matters excluded from consideration of admissibility
Evidence may not be excluded under this Division if the only grounds for excluding the evidence would be either (or both) of the following:
	(a)	there is a reasonable explanation in relation to the evidence consistent with the innocence of the defendant;
	(b)	the evidence may be the result of collusion or concoction. 
34T—Severance
Where—
	(a)	2 or more defendants are charged in the same information; and
	(b)	a party proposes to adduce discreditable conduct evidence; and
	(c)	a defendant (the applicant) applies prior to or during a trial for a separate trial or for a charge to be severed from the information,
the court, when considering the application, must give strong weight to a real possibility that the applicant may be prejudiced by—
	(d)	evidence proposed to be adduced by the prosecutor against another defendant which is not admissible against the applicant; or
	(e)	evidence proposed to be adduced by another defendant which is not admissible against the applicant; or
	(f)	the applicant's inability to adduce with respect to another defendant relevant evidence that would be admissible but for the operation of section 34P.

Part 4—Documents and other records
Division 1—Public Acts and documents
35—Judicial notice of legislative instruments
	(1)	A court must take judicial notice of a legislative instrument.
	(2)	In this section—
legislative instrument means—
	(a)	an Act of this State, or an Act or ordinance of any other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth;
	(b)	an Act of the Imperial Parliament that forms part of the law of this State or of any other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth;
	(c)	a regulation, rule, by-law or other form of subordinate legislation made under the law of this State or of any other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth;
	(d)	a proclamation, order or notice published in the Gazette or the corresponding official publication of some other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth;
	(e)	an Act or other instrument of a kind referred to in a preceding paragraph as published or republished under—
	(i)	the Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002; or
	(ii)	a former Act, or provision of an Act, of this State that provided for the reprinting or consolidation of any such instruments; or
	(iii)	a corresponding Act or ordinance of any other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth.
36—Proof of votes and proceedings of Parliament
All documents purporting to be copies of the votes and proceedings or journals or minutes of either House of Parliament, or of papers presented to either House of Parliament, if purporting to be printed by the Government Printer, shall on their mere production be admitted as evidence thereof.
37—Evidentiary value of official publications
The Gazette or the corresponding official publication of some other State or a Territory of the Commonwealth is admissible in any legal proceedings as evidence of any legislative, judicial or administrative acts published or notified in it.
37A—Proof of Gazette
The mere production of a paper purporting to be the Gazette shall in all courts be evidence that the paper is the Gazette and was published on the day on which it bears date.
37B—Proof of printing by Government Printer
The mere production of a paper purporting to be printed by the Government Printer or by the authority of the Government of the State shall in all courts be evidence that the paper was printed by the Government Printer or by such authority.
37C—Proof of Imperial orders-in-Council
	(1)	In this section—
Imperial order-in-Council means—
	(a)	any letters patent or Imperial order-in-Council; or
	(b)	any admiralty map or chart issued by, or under the authority of, the Government of Great Britain, or the United Kingdom.
	(2)	Evidence of the making and contents of an Imperial order-in-Council may be given by production of a document purporting to be certified by the Secretary to the Attorney-General as a true copy of the Imperial order-in-Council.
	(3)	A statement in a document produced in evidence under subsection (2) of this section as to the date of publication of the Imperial order-in-Council shall be evidence that the Imperial order-in-Council was published on that date.
38—Foreign and Colonial Acts of State, judgments etc provable by copies
	(1)	Evidence of any proclamation, treaty, or other act of State, of any foreign State, or in any part of His Majesty's Dominions outside the Commonwealth and other than the United Kingdom, may be given by the production of a document, purporting to be a copy thereof and—
	(a)	proved to be an examined copy thereof; or
	(b)	purporting to be sealed with the seal of the foreign State or of the said part of His Majesty's Dominions.
	(2)	Evidence of any judgment, decree, order or other judicial proceeding of any court of justice in the United Kingdom or in any foreign State or part of His Majesty's Dominions outside the Commonwealth and other than the United Kingdom (including any affidavit, pleading, or other legal document filed or deposited in the court) may be given by the production of a document purporting to be a copy thereof; and
	(a)	proved to be an examined copy thereof; or
	(b)	purporting to be sealed with the seal of such court; or
	(c)	purporting to be signed by a judge of such court with a statement in writing attached by him to his signature that such court has no seal, and without proof of his judicial character, or of the truth of such statement.
	(3)	If any such document as aforesaid purports to be sealed or signed as aforesaid it shall be admissible without proof of the seal or of the signature as the case may be.
39—Public documents provable by examined or certified copy
	(1)	Whenever any book or other document is of such a public nature as to be admissible in evidence on its mere production from the proper custody, and no Act exists which renders its contents provable by means of a copy, any copy thereof or extract therefrom shall be admissible in evidence,
	(a)	if it is proved to be an examined copy or extract; or
	(b)	it purports to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by the officer to whose custody the original is entrusted.
	(2)	Every such officer is hereby required to furnish such certified copy or extract to any person applying for the same at a reasonable time, upon payment of a reasonable sum for the same, not exceeding five cents for every folio of ninety words.
40—Proof of documents by examined or certified copies
Whenever any book, or other document, in the United Kingdom, or in any part of His Majesty's Dominions outside the Commonwealth and other than the United Kingdom, is provable (according to the law of England, or of the said part of His Majesty's Dominions) by means of a copy, any copy thereof or extract therefrom shall be admissible in evidence if it—
	(a)	is proved to be an examined copy or extract; or
	(b)	purports to be signed and certified as a true copy or extract by some officer who shall further certify that he is the officer to whose custody the original is entrusted.
41—Certifying a false document
If any officer authorised or required by this Act to furnish any certified copy or extract shall wilfully certify any document as being a true copy or extract, knowing that the same is not a true copy or extract, as the case may be, he shall be guilty of an offence, and be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for any term not less than eighteen months or more than three years.

Division 2—Proof of convictions, acquittals etc
42—Proof of conviction or acquittal of an indictable offence
	(1)	The information, trial, and conviction, or acquittal of any person for an indictable offence may be proved by a certificate purporting to be under the hand of the Registrar of the Supreme Court or the District Court or the associate or other officer having the custody of the records of the court where such conviction, or acquittal took place, or of the deputy of such associate or other officer.
	(2)	The certificate may set forth the substance and effect of the record omitting the formal parts thereof.
	(3)	A conviction for any offence committed in any other State or any Territory of the Commonwealth may be proved by a like certificate.
	(4)	No proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of any person certifying in pursuance of this section.
	(5)	The mode of proof authorised by this section shall be in addition to and not to the exclusion of any other authorised mode of proof.
43—Proof of convictions and orders of courts of summary jurisdiction
	(1)	Any conviction, order of dismissal or other order made by a court of summary jurisdiction may be proved in any court whatever by the production of a copy of such conviction, order of dismissal or other order, purporting to be certified by the clerk of the court by which such conviction, order of dismissal or other order was made, or by the deputy of such clerk.
	(2)	No proof shall be required of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed any such copy as aforesaid.
	(3)	This section shall apply to any conviction, order of dismissal or other order made before or after the commencement of this Act.
	(4)	In this section the expression court of summary jurisdiction shall mean any court, by whatever name called, which in any State or Territory of the Commonwealth has jurisdiction to try offences summarily.
43A—Proof of identity of person convicted in another State
For the purpose of proving the identity of any person alleged to have been convicted in any other State, or any Territory of the Commonwealth, an affidavit substantially in the form of Schedule 4 shall be admissible in evidence in all courts and shall be prima facie evidence that the person whose finger-prints are exhibited thereto—
	(a)	is the person who in any document exhibited to the said affidavit and purporting to be a certificate of conviction or a certified copy of conviction, is referred to as having been convicted;
	(b)	has been convicted of the offences mentioned in the said affidavit.

Division 3—Documents relating to ships or transport
44—Registers of British vessels and certificates of registry admissible as prima facie evidence of their contents
	(1)	Every register of vessels kept under any of the Acts of the Imperial Parliament relating to the registry of British vessels, may be proved either by the production of the original or by an examined copy thereof, or by a copy thereof purporting to be certified under the hand of the person having the charge of the original.
	(2)	Every such register, or such copy of a register, and also every certificate of registry granted under any of the said Acts relating to the registry of British vessels, and purporting to be signed as required by law, shall be received in evidence as prima facie proof of all the matters contained or recited in such register when the register or such copy thereof as aforesaid is produced, and of all matters contained or recited in or endorsed on such certificate of registry when the said certificate is produced.
45—Documents relating to transportation of persons or goods
	(1)	An apparently genuine document purporting to be a document of a prescribed nature and to relate to the transportation or shipment of any person or goods, from one place to another—
	(a)	shall be admissible in evidence on production without further proof; and
	(b)	shall be evidence of any fact stated, or referred to, in the document, or to be inferred from the document, and where the document relates to the shipment of goods, shall be evidence that the ownership of goods referred to in the document is in the consignee named in the document or his assignee.
	(2)	Evidence of the description of any package or property, or of any inscription or mark upon any package or property shall be admissible (without production of the original inscription or mark) for the purpose of raising an inference as to the identity of the package or property with that referred to in a document admissible in evidence under this section.
	(3)	For the purpose of determining the evidentiary weight, if any, of a document admitted in evidence under this section, consideration shall be given to the source from which the document is produced, the safeguards (if any) that have been taken to ensure its accuracy and any other relevant matters.
	(4)	In this section—
document of a prescribed nature means—
	(a)	bill of lading, manifest, shipping receipt, consignment note, way-bill, delivery sheet, register or order, invoice, ticket, passenger list or register, and any document of a like nature; or
	(b)	any reproduction of any such document by photographic, photostatic, lithographic or other like process;
shipment means carriage by any means by air, land or water.

Division 4—Banking records
46—Interpretation
In this Division—
bank means—
	(a)	a body corporate carrying on the business of banking in a State or Territory of the Commonwealth; or
	(d)	any other body that accepts money on deposit from the public;
banking records means—
	(a)	books of account, accounts, and accounting records (including working papers and other documents necessary to explain the methods and calculations by which accounts are made up); and
	(b)	books, diaries, or other records used in the course of carrying on the business of a bank; and
	(c)	cheques, bills of exchange, promissory notes, deposit slips, orders for the payment of money, invoices, receipts and vouchers; and
	(d)	securities, and documents of title to securities,
in the possession or control of a bank;
copy, in relation to a banking record made by microfilming or by a mechanical or electronic process, means a document produced from the record containing, in an intelligible form, the information stored in the record.
47—Admission of banking record in evidence
	(1)	Subject to subsection (2), a copy of a banking record is admissible in legal proceedings as evidence—
	(a)	of the record; and
	(b)	of the transactions or matters to which the record relates.
	(2)	The copy shall not be admitted in evidence unless it is first proved—
	(a)	that the record was compiled in the ordinary course of business; and
	(b)	that the record is in the custody or control of the bank; and
	(c)	that reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the copy is an accurate copy of the record, or accurately reproduces information stored in the record.
	(3)	Evidence may be given orally or by affidavit by an officer of the bank for the purpose of proving the matters referred to in subsection (2).
48—Evidence of non-existence of account may be given by affidavit
An affidavit made by an officer of a bank stating that a person named in the affidavit had at a time, or over a period, specified in the affidavit no account at the bank, or at a specified branch, is admissible in legal proceedings as evidence of the fact stated.
49—Power to order inspection of banking records etc
	(1)	On the application of any party to a legal proceeding a judge may order that such party be at liberty to inspect and take copies of a banking record for any of the purposes of such proceedings.
	(1a)	Where—
	(a)	a Judge of the Supreme Court; or
	(b)	a District Court Judge; or
	(c)	a Magistrate,
is satisfied on the application of a member of the police force or an officer of the Corporate Affairs Commission that it would be in the interests of the administration of justice to permit the applicant to inspect and take copies of banking records, the Judge may order that the applicant be at liberty to inspect and take copies of those banking records.
	(2)	An order under this section may be made either with or without summoning the bank or any other person, and shall be served on the bank three clear days before the same is to be obeyed, unless the judge otherwise directs. Any Sunday or public holiday shall be excluded from the computation of time under this section.
	(3)	Subject to subsection (4), where an order is made under subsection (1a), the applicant shall cause a copy of the order to be served personally or by post on the person subject to investigation within six months of the date of the order or such further period as may be allowed by a Judge.
Maximum penalty: $1 000.
	(4)	Service of a copy of an order is not required under subsection (3)—
	(a)	if evidence of the commission of an offence was obtained in pursuance of the order and, within the period allowed under subsection (3) for service of a copy of the order, the person subject to investigation is charged with that offence; or
	(b)	if the whereabouts of the person on whom the copy is to be served is unknown and not ascertainable by reasonable inquiry.
	(5)	A reference in subsection (3) or (4) to the person subject to investigation shall be construed as a reference to the person to whose financial transactions the banking records subject to inspection in pursuance of an order under subsection (1a) relate.
	(6)	Copies of applications made under subsection (1a) shall be retained for a period of six years—
	(a)	in the case of applications made by members of the police force—by the Commissioner of Police; and
	(b)	in the case of applications made by officers of the Corporate Affairs Commission—by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
	(7)	The Commissioner of Police shall in each calendar year report to the Minister responsible for the police force the number of applications made under subsection (1a) by members of the police force during the previous calendar year, and the Corporate Affairs Commission shall in each calendar year report to the Minister to whom it is responsible the number of applications made under subsection (1a) by officers of the Commission during the previous calendar year.
	(8)	A report under subsection (7) may be incorporated in any other annual report that the Commissioner of Police or the Corporate Affairs Commission (as the case may be) is required by or under statute to make to the Minister to whom the report under that subsection is to be submitted.
	(9)	A person who divulges, otherwise than in the course of his official duties, information obtained by him by virtue of an order under subsection (1a) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a penalty not exceeding $5 000.
50—Bank not compellable to produce records except under order
A bank or officer of a bank shall not in any legal proceeding to which the bank is not a party be compellable—
	(a)	to produce any banking record, the contents of which can be proved under this Act; or
	(b)	to appear as a witness to prove the matters, transactions, and accounts recorded in a banking record,
unless by order of a judge made for special cause.
51—Costs occasioned by default of bank
	(1)	Costs occasioned by a default or delay by a bank in complying with an order under this Part (not being an order under section 49(1a)) may be awarded by the judge against the bank.
	(2)	Any such order against a bank may be enforced as if the bank were a party to the proceedings in aid of which the application is made.

Division 5—Other documents and records
52—Admission of certain documents in evidence
	(1)	An apparently genuine document purporting to contain a statement of fact, or written, graphical or pictorial matter in which a statement of fact is implicit, or from which a statement of fact may be inferred is, subject to this section, admissible in evidence.
	(2)	A document must not be admitted in evidence under subsection (1) if the court is not satisfied that the person by whom, or at whose direction, the document was prepared could, at the time of the preparation of the document have deposed of his or her own knowledge to the statement that is contained or implicit in, or may be inferred from, the contents of the document.
	(3)	A document must not be admitted in evidence under subsection (1) if the court is of the opinion—
	(a)	that the person by whom, or at whose direction, the document was prepared can and should be called by the party tendering the document to give evidence of the matters contained in the document; or
	(b)	that the evidentiary weight of the document is slight and is outweighed by the prejudice that might result to any of the parties from the admission of the document in evidence; or
	(c)	that it would be otherwise contrary to the interests of justice to admit the document in evidence.
	(4)	In determining whether to admit a document in evidence under this section, the court may receive evidence by affidavit of any matter pertaining to the admission of that document in evidence.
	(5)	For the purpose of determining the evidentiary weight (if any) of a document admitted in evidence under this section, consideration must be given to the source from which the document was produced, the safeguards (if any) that have been taken to ensure its accuracy, and any other relevant matters.
53—Admission of business records in evidence
	(1)	An apparently genuine document purporting to be a business record—
	(a)	is admissible in evidence without further proof; and
	(b)	is evidence of a fact stated in the record, or any fact that may be inferred from the record (whether the inference arises wholly from the matter contained in the record, or from that matter in conjunction with other evidence).
	(2)	A document must not be admitted in evidence under subsection (1) if the court is of the opinion—
	(a)	that the person by whom, or at whose direction, the document was prepared can and should be called by the party tendering the document to give evidence of the matters contained in the document; or
	(b)	that the evidentiary weight of the document is slight and is outweighed by the prejudice that might result to any of the parties from the admission of the document in evidence; or
	(c)	that it would be otherwise contrary to the interests of justice to admit the document in evidence.
	(3)	For the purpose of determining the evidentiary weight (if any) of a document admitted in evidence under subsection (1), consideration must be given to the source from which the document is produced, the safeguards (if any) that have been taken to ensure its accuracy, and any other relevant matters.
	(4)	In this section—
business means business, occupation, trade or calling and includes the business of any governmental or local governmental body or instrumentality;
business record means—
	(a)	any book of account or other document prepared or used in the ordinary course of a business for the purpose of recording any matter relating to the business; or
	(b)	any reproduction of any such record by photographic, photostatic, lithographic or other like process.

Division 6—Matters relating to communications
54—Electronic communications
	(1)	If an apparently genuine document purports to contain a record of an electronic communication (other than one referred to in section 55), it will be presumed in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the communication—
	(a)	was sent or made in the form of electronic communication that appears from the document to have been the form by which it was sent or made; and
	(b)	was sent or made by or on behalf of the person by or on whose behalf it appears from the document to have been sent or made; and
	(c)	was sent or made on the day on which, at the time at which and from the place from which it appears from the document to have been sent or made; and
	(d)	was received at the destination to which it appears from the document to have been sent; and
	(e)	if it appears from the document that the sending of the communication concluded at a particular time—was received at that destination at that time.
	(2)	A provision of subsection (1) does not apply in proceedings if—
	(a)	the proceedings relate to a contract; and
	(b)	all parties to the proceedings are parties to the contract; and
	(c)	the provision is inconsistent with a term of the contract.
	(3)	A document referred to in subsection (1) may be admitted in proceedings as evidence of any of the following representations contained in the document:
	(a)	the identity of the person from whom or on whose behalf the electronic communication was sent;
	(b)	the date on which or the time at which the communication was sent;
	(c)	the destination of the communication or the identity of the person to whom the communication was addressed.
	(4)	In this section—
electronic communication has the same meaning as in the Electronic Transactions Act 2000.
55—Telegrams and lettergrams
	(1)	If a document purporting to contain a record of a message is transmitted by means of a lettergram or telegram, it will be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the message was received by the person to whom the message is addressed no later than 24 hours after the message was delivered to a post office for transmission as a lettergram or telegram.
	(2)	This section does not apply in proceedings if—
	(a)	the proceedings relate to a contract; and
	(b)	all parties to the proceedings are parties to the contract; and
	(c)	subsection (1) is inconsistent with a term of the contract.

Division 7—Miscellaneous
56—Evidence produced by processes, machines and other devices
	(1)	This section applies to a document or thing—
	(a)	that is produced wholly or partly by a device or process; and
	(b)	that is tendered by a party to proceedings who asserts that, in producing the document or thing, the device or process has produced a particular outcome.
	(2)	If a device or process is one that, or is of a kind that, if properly used, will ordinarily produce that outcome, it will be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that, in producing the document or thing on the occasion in question, the device or process produced that outcome.
Example—
It would not be necessary to call evidence to prove that a photocopier normally produced complete copies of documents and that it was working properly when it was used to photocopy a particular document.
57—Modification of best evidence rule
	(1)	A document that reproduces the contents of another document is admissible in evidence before a court in the same circumstances, and for the same purposes, as that other document (whether or not that other document still exists).
	(2)	This section applies to a reproduction made—
	(a)	by an instantaneous process; or
	(b)	by a process in which the contents of a document—
	(i)	recorded by photographic, electronic or other means; or
	(ii)	stored on a data storage device,
are reproduced, whether in the same form or in some other form; or
	(c)	in any other way.
	(3)	If a court admits or refuses to admit a document under this section, the court must, if so requested by a party to the proceedings, state the reason for its decision.
	(4)	In determining whether a particular document accurately reproduces the contents of another, a court is not bound by the rules of evidence and, in particular, the court may rely on its own knowledge of the nature and reliability of the processes by which the reproduction was made.
Example—
A photograph displaying the contents of an image on a computer screen, or a transcript of sounds or words captured on an audio recording, may be admissible as a reproduction of the contents of the image or recording (as the case may be).

Part 6B—Obtaining evidence from outside a court's territorial jurisdiction
59D—Interpretation
	(1)	In this Part—
authorised South Australian court means—
	(a)	the Supreme Court;
	(b)	the District Court;
	(c)	the Magistrates Court;
	(e)	a court or tribunal declared by the Attorney-General, by notice in the Gazette, to be an authorised South Australian court for the purposes of this Part;
foreign court means a court established under the law of some country, state or territory other than this State.
	(2)	This Part applies in respect of—
	(a)	civil proceedings originating in courts within or outside Australia;
	(b)	criminal proceedings originating in Australian courts.
59E—Taking of evidence outside the State
	(1)	Where, in the opinion of an authorised South Australian court, it is necessary or expedient that evidence relating to proceedings before it be taken outside the State, the court may—
	(a)	sit outside the State for the purpose of taking the evidence; or
	(b)	issue a commission to an officer of the court or some other appropriate person to take the evidence; or
	(c)	request a foreign court to take the evidence.
	(2)	Subject to any just exception—
	(a)	any depositions taken on commission or by a foreign court that takes evidence in pursuance of a request under this Part may be put in as evidence at the hearing of the proceedings to which they relate; and
	(b)	any documents produced to a commissioner or a foreign court that takes evidence in pursuance of a request under this Part are admissible at the hearing of the proceedings to which they relate as if produced at the hearing.
	(3)	Any documents appearing to be depositions or documents so taken or produced, will, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, be accepted as such.
	(4)	An authorised South Australian court may take evidence from a place outside the State by video link or any other form of telecommunication that the court thinks appropriate in the circumstances.
59F—Power of South Australian Court to take evidence on request
	(1)	Where a foreign court requests an authorised South Australian court to take evidence in this State for the purpose of proceedings before that foreign court the South Australian court may summon any person to appear before it for the purpose of giving evidence or for the purpose of producing documents.
	(2)	A witness summoned to appear before an authorised South Australian court under this section may be examined, cross-examined or re-examined before that court.
	(3)	Subject to this Part, the South Australian court in taking evidence under this section shall have the same powers as if the proceedings originated in that court.
	(4)	If, while any person is being examined before an authorised South Australian court, objection is taken to any question, or to answering any question, the ground of the objection and the answer (if any) to the question shall be set out in the deposition of that person.
	(5)	Subject to subsections (6) and (7), the validity of the ground of any such objection shall not be determined by the authorised South Australian court but by the foreign court at whose request the examination is being conducted.
	(6)	The authorised South Australian court may permit a witness to decline to answer a question where in the opinion of the court the answer to that question might incriminate him or where it would in the opinion of the court be unfair to the witness, or to any other person, that the answer should be given and recorded.
	(7)	A witness cannot be compelled to give evidence on a particular subject if he or she could not be compelled to give evidence on that subject in the foreign court from which the request to take evidence originated.
59G—Depositions to be signed
Where pursuant to this Part—
	(a)	a witness has given evidence before an authorised South Australian court, his deposition shall be signed by him and by the person presiding over the court; or
	(b)	a document has been produced before an authorised South Australian court, the person presiding over the court shall attach to that document a certificate signed by him stating the name of the person by whom the document was produced.
59H—Transmission of request
Where an authorised South Australian court receives a request from a foreign court for the examination of a witness, or the production of documents, and it appears to the court that the witness or person by whom the evidence is to be given, or the documents produced, is not in South Australia and is not proceeding to South Australia, but is in, or proceeding to, some other country or State, the South Australian court—
	(a)	may transmit the request to a foreign court in that other country or State together with such information as it possesses concerning the whereabouts of that person; and
	(b)	shall give notice to the foreign court from which it received the request of the fact that the request has been so transmitted.
59I—Saving provision
	(1)	Nothing in this Part limits the power of a court to require a witness to attend in person before the court.
	(2)	The provisions of this Part are supplementary to, and do not derogate from, the provisions of any other Act or law.

Part 6C—Use of audio and audio visual links
Division 1—Preliminary
59IA—Interpretation
In this Part—
audio link means a system of two-way communication linking different places so that a person speaking at any one of the places can be heard at the other;
Example—
An audio link may be established by facilities such as a two-way radio or telephone.
audio visual link means a system of two-way communication linking different places so that a person speaking at any one of the places can be seen and heard at the other;
Example—
An audio visual link may be established by facilities such as a closed-circuit television.
participating State means another State in which statutory provisions substantially corresponding to this Part are in force;
recognised court means a court or tribunal of a participating State that is authorised by the provisions of an Act of that State in terms substantially corresponding to this Part to direct that evidence be taken or submissions made by audio, or audio visual, link from South Australia;
South Australian court means—
	(a)	the Supreme Court;
	(b)	the District Court;
	(c)	the Magistrates Court;
	(d)	the Coroner's Court;
	(e)	a court or tribunal prescribed by regulation to be a South Australian court for the purposes of this Part;
State includes Territory;
tribunal of a State means a person or body authorised by or under a law of the State to take evidence on oath or affirmation.
59IB—Transitional
This Part extends to proceedings whether the proceedings were commenced, or the cause of action arose, before or after the commencement of this Part.
59IC—Application of Part
This Part is in addition to, and does not derogate from, other provisions of this Act or of any other law authorising the taking of evidence, or the conduct of proceedings, outside this State.

Division 2—Use of interstate audio or audio visual link in proceedings before South Australian courts
59ID—Application of this Division
This Division applies to any proceeding (including a criminal proceeding) before a South Australian court.
59IE—State courts may take evidence and submissions from outside State
	(1)	A South Australian court may, on the application of a party to a proceeding before the court, direct that evidence be taken or submissions made by audio, or audio visual, link from a participating State.
	(2)	The court must not make such a direction if—
	(a)	the necessary facilities are unavailable or cannot reasonably be made available; or
	(b)	the court is satisfied that the evidence or submission can be more conveniently given or made in this State; or
	(c)	the court is satisfied by a party opposing the making of the direction that the direction would be unfair to the party.
	(3)	The court may exercise in the participating State in connection with taking evidence or receiving submissions by audio, or audio visual, link any of its powers that the court is permitted, under the law of the participating State, to exercise in the participating State.
59IF—Expenses
If a South Australian court directs evidence to be taken, or submissions to be made, by audio, or audio visual, link from a person in a participating State, the court may make such orders as it considers just for payment of expenses incurred in connection with—
	(a)	taking the evidence or making the submissions; or
	(b)	providing the audio, or audio visual, link.
59IG—Counsel entitled to practise
A person who is entitled to practise as a legal practitioner in a participating State is entitled to practise as a barrister, solicitor or both—
	(a)	in relation to the examination-in-chief, cross-examination or re-examination of a witness in the participating State whose evidence is being given by audio, or audio visual, link in a proceeding before a South Australian court; and
	(b)	in relation to the making of submissions by audio, or audio visual, link from the participating State in a proceeding before a South Australian court.

Division 3—Use of interstate audio or audio visual link in proceedings in participating States
59IH—Application of Division
This Division applies to any proceeding (including a criminal proceeding) before a recognised court.
59II—Recognised courts may take evidence or receive submissions from persons in South Australia
A recognised court may, for the purposes of a proceeding before it, take evidence or receive submissions by audio, or audio visual, link from a person in South Australia.
59IJ—Powers of recognised courts
	(1)	The recognised court may, for the purposes of the proceeding, exercise in South Australia, in connection with taking evidence or receiving submissions by audio, or audio visual, link any of its powers, except its powers—
	(a)	to punish for contempt; and
	(b)	to enforce or execute its judgments or process.
	(2)	The laws of the participating State (including rules of court) that apply to the proceeding in that State also apply, by force of this subsection, to the practice and procedure of the recognised court in taking evidence or receiving submissions by audio, or audio visual, link from a person in South Australia.
	(3)	For the purposes of the recognised court exercising its powers, the place in South Australia where evidence is given or submissions are made is taken to be part of the court.
59IK—Orders made by recognised court
Without limiting section 59IJ, the recognised court may, by order—
	(a)	direct that the proceeding, or a part of the proceeding, be conducted in private; or
	(b)	require a person to leave a place in South Australia where the giving of evidence or the making of submissions is taking place or is going to take place; or
	(c)	prohibit or restrict the publication of evidence given in the proceeding or of the name of a party to, or a witness in, the proceeding.
59IL—Enforcement of order
	(1)	An order of a recognised court under this Division must be complied with.
	(2)	Subject to rules of court, the order may be enforced by the Supreme Court as if the order were an order of the Supreme Court.
	(3)	Without limiting subsection (2), a person who contravenes the order—
	(a)	is taken to be in contempt of the Supreme Court; and
	(b)	is punishable accordingly,
unless the person establishes that the contravention should be excused.
59IM—Privileges, protection and immunity of participants in proceedings in courts of participating States
	(1)	A judge or other person presiding at a proceeding before a recognised court has, in connection with evidence taken or submissions received by audio, or audio visual, link from a person in South Australia, the same privileges, protection and immunity as a judge of the Supreme Court.
	(2)	A person appearing as a legal practitioner in a proceeding before a recognised court has, in connection with evidence taken or submissions received by audio, or audio visual, link from a person in South Australia, the same protection and immunity as a legal practitioner has in appearing for a party in a proceeding before the Supreme Court.
	(3)	A person appearing as a witness in a proceeding before a recognised court by audio, or audio visual, link from South Australia has the same protection as a witness in a proceeding before the Supreme Court.
59IN—Recognised court may administer oath in South Australia
	(1)	A recognised court may, for the purpose of obtaining in the proceeding by audio, or audio visual, link the testimony of a person in South Australia, administer an oath or affirmation in accordance with the practice and procedure of the recognised court.
	(2)	Evidence given by a person on oath or affirmation so administered is, for the purposes of the law of South Australia, testimony given in a judicial proceeding.
59IO—Assistance to recognised court
An officer of a South Australian court may, at the request of a recognised court—
	(a)	attend at the place in the State where evidence is to be or is being taken, or submissions are to be or are being made, in the proceeding; and
	(b)	take such action as the recognised court directs to facilitate the proceeding; and
	(c)	assist with the administering by the recognised court of an oath or affirmation.
59IP—Contempt of recognised courts
	(1)	A person must not, in relation to proceedings in South Australia for the purpose of taking of evidence or the receiving of submissions by a recognised court by audio, or audio visual, link, engage in conduct that would, if the proceeding were before the Supreme Court, constitute—
	(a)	an offence; or
	(b)	a contempt of the Supreme Court.
	(2)	A person who contravenes subsection (1) is liable to—
	(a)	if the conduct would have constituted an offence—the same penalty as if the offence had been committed in relation to proceedings before the Supreme Court; or
	(b)	if the conduct would have constituted a contempt—imprisonment for 3 months.

Division 4—Use of audio visual link or audio link generally
59IQ—Appearance etc by audio visual link or audio link
	(1)	A court may, subject to this Division and any relevant rules of court, receive evidence or submissions from a person who is in the State but not physically present in the courtroom by means of an audio visual link or an audio link.
	(2)	The court may administer an oath or affirmation by means of the link for the purpose of taking evidence (and may adapt its normal practice in that regard to the extent necessary in the circumstances).
	(3)	While the link is in operation the person from whom evidence or submissions are taken, and anyone else present in the place from which that person gives evidence or makes submissions, is taken to be before the court.
Any law or rule of practice relevant to contempt of the court applies accordingly.
Any law or rule of practice requiring the personal appearance of a person before the court is taken to be satisfied while the link between the court and the person remains in operation.
	(4)	If—
	(a)	a defendant is in custody prior to trial and is to be dealt with by a court to which the provisions of this subsection are extended by regulation; and
	(b)	facilities exist for dealing with the proceedings by audio visual link,
the court should, subject to subsection (5) and relevant rules of court, deal with the proceedings by audio visual link and without requiring the personal attendance of the defendant.
	(5)	The personal attendance of a defendant who is in custody is, however, required if—
	(a)	the proceeding is—
	(i)	the defendant's first appearance before a court in connection with the charge or charges for which the defendant is in custody; or
	(ii)	a preliminary examination of an indictable offence that involves the taking of oral evidence (but this subparagraph does not prevent the use of an audio visual link for parts of the proceeding that do not involve the taking of oral evidence or for incidental proceedings such as an adjournment or an application for bail or further remand in custody that do involve the taking of oral evidence); or
	(iii)	a proceeding for which the defendant's personal attendance is required by regulation,
(but in any of the above cases, the defendant may ask the court to be allowed to use an audio visual link and, if the court agrees, the defendant need not attend personally before the court); or
	(b)	the proceeding is an investigation into the defendant's fitness to stand trial; or
	(c)	the court is of the opinion that there are good reasons in the circumstances of the particular case for requiring the defendant's personal attendance and directs accordingly; or
	(d)	there are other matters to be dealt with on the same occasion for which the defendant's personal attendance is necessary or desirable.
	(6)	The court should give the parties a reasonable opportunity to object to the use of an audio visual link or an audio link under this Division (but may, if it is convenient to do so, use the link for the purpose of hearing the objection).
	(7)	In proceedings relating to an offence (other than proceedings to which subsection (4) applies), the prosecuting authority must object to the use by the court of an audio visual link or an audio link if requested to do so by—
	(a)	an alleged victim of the offence; or
	(b)	if an alleged victim of the offence—
	(i)	is a child—a parent or guardian of the alleged victim; or
	(ii)	is deceased or unable to represent himself or herself because of some physical or medical condition—a member of the alleged victim's immediate family.
	(8)	In subsection (7)—
immediate family of an alleged victim means—
	(a)	a spouse or domestic partner; or
	(b)	a parent or guardian; or
	(c)	a grandparent; or
	(d)	an adult child; or
	(e)	an adult grandchild; or
	(f)	a brother or sister;
victim, in relation to an offence, means—
	(a)	a person who suffers physical or mental injury, damage or loss as a result of the commission of the offence;
	(b)	a person who suffers psychological injury as a result of being directly involved in the circumstances of the offence or in operations in the immediate aftermath of the offence to deal with its consequences.
59IR—Communication between lawyer and client
	(1)	This section applies where—
	(a)	a person who is to give evidence or make submissions (or on whose behalf submissions are to be made) is represented by a lawyer; and
	(b)	the lawyer and the client are physically separated—the lawyer being in the courtroom and the client in the remote location.
	(2)	Evidence or submissions are not to be taken by audio visual link or by audio link if facilities do not exist to enable private oral communication between the lawyer and the client.
	(3)	The court must, at the lawyer's request, make appropriate arrangements for the private communication of a document between the lawyer and the client.
	(4)	Any communication between lawyer and client is absolutely privileged.

Part 7—General provisions
Division 1—Power to dispense with formal proof
59J—Court's power to dispense with formal proof
	(1)	A court may at any stage of civil or criminal proceedings—
	(a)	dispense with compliance with the rules of evidence for proving any matter that is not genuinely in dispute; or
	(b)	dispense with compliance with the rules of evidence where compliance might involve unreasonable expense or delay.
	(2)	In exercising its power under subsection (1) the court may, for example, dispense with proof of—
	(a)	a document or the execution of a document;
	(b)	handwriting;
	(c)	the identity of a party;
	(d)	the conferral of an authority to do a particular act.
	(3)	A court is not bound by the rules of evidence in informing itself on any matter relevant to the exercise of its discretion under this section.

Division 2—Notice of action
60—Sufficiency of notice of action
In any action or other proceeding in any court of justice in which notice of action is required, such notice shall be deemed sufficient if, in the opinion of the person presiding, such notice shall have given the defendant reasonable notice of the cause of such action, and the sufficiency of such notice shall be a question of fact and not of law; and no notice of action shall be held insufficient merely for want of form.

Division 3—Facilitation of proof of certain matters
62—Proof of "public place" in certain cases
Whenever in any proceedings before justices, in respect of any offence, it is an essential ingredient of the offence that the place (where any fact or matter occurred or was done) should be a public place, an allegation, in the complaint or information, that the place (specified as that in which the fact or matter charged occurred or was done) was a public place, shall be prima facie evidence of that fact, but the court may, if it thinks fit, and at any stage of the proceedings, permit evidence to be called with respect to the said fact.
62A—Proof of place being within municipality etc
	(1)	In any complaint or information an allegation that any place is within a municipality, district council district, town or township, shall be prima facie evidence of the fact so alleged.
	(2)	In this section the word place shall include any place, public or private, however described in the complaint or information, including any street road or other thoroughfare, or part thereof, and any building or structure or part thereof.
63—Proof of foreign law
Printed books purporting to contain statutes, ordinances or other written laws in force in any country, although not purporting to have been printed or published by authority, and books purporting to contain reports of decisions of courts or judges in such country, and text books treating of the laws of such country, may be referred to by all courts for the purpose of ascertaining the laws in force in such country; but such courts shall not be bound to accept or act on the statements in any such books as evidence of such laws.
63A—Evidence as to foreign law
Where upon trial of any proceedings by judge and jury it is necessary to ascertain the law of any other country or state applicable to the proceedings, any question as to the effect of evidence given with respect to that law shall, instead of being submitted to the jury, be decided by the judge.
64—Proof of matters of history, science etc
All courts may, in matters of public history, literature, science, or art, refer, for the purposes of evidence, to such published books, calendars, maps, or charts as such courts consider to be of authority on the subjects to which they respectively relate: Provided that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require any such court to accept or act upon any such evidence when tendered, unless it thinks fit.
65—Reference by court to books, official certificates etc
	(1)	In any matter relating to—
	(a)	the ordinary course of the post between any place within the Commonwealth and any other place, whether within or without the Commonwealth, or to the public business and transactions of the Australian Postal Commission; or
	(b)	the territorial limits of the area controlled by any municipal or district council or other local governing body, or of any other area designated or proclaimed or appointed by or under any statute or to the inclusion in any such area or the exclusion therefrom of any particular place; or
	(c)	the distance between any two places in the State;
every court may refer to—
	(d)	any such published book, map, chart, or document as the court considers to be of authority upon the subject to which it relates; or
	(e)	any certificate purporting to be signed by some person occupying any official position which, in the opinion of the court, qualifies him to certify to the fact in question.
	(2)	However nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require any such court to accept or act upon any such evidence when tendered unless it thinks fit.
65A—Proof of age
If—
	(a)	the age of a person is relevant to proceedings before a court; and
	(b)	a document that appears to be a certified copy of, or extract from, a register of births kept under an Australian law, or under the law of the country in which the person was born, is produced to the court; and
	(c)	the name of the person to whom the document relates is the name or a former name of the person whose age is to be established,
it will be presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the person whose age is to be established is the person named in the document produced to the court and that the date of his or her birth is the date of birth shown in that document.

Division 4—Taking affidavits etc outside the State
66—Taking of affidavits out of the State
	(1)	Any oath or affidavit required for the purpose of any court or matter in the State may be taken or made, in any place out of the State, before—
	(a)	a commissioner for taking affidavits in the Supreme Court empowered and authorised to act in that place; or
	(b)	a British diplomatic or consular agent exercising his function in that place; or
	(ba)	any person appointed to hold or act in any of the following offices of the Commonwealth in that place:
	(i)	ambassador;
	(ii)	high commissioner;
	(iii)	minister;
	(iv)	head of mission;
	(v)	commissioner;
	(vi)	charge d'affaires;
	(vii)	counsellor or secretary at an embassy, high commissioner's office, legation or other post;
	(viii)	consul-general;
	(ix)	consul;
	(x)	vice-consul;
	(xi)	trade commissioner;
	(xii)	consular agent; or
	(bb)	an employee of the Commonwealth, or the Australian Trade Commission, authorised under section 3 of the Consular Fees Act 1955 (Commonwealth) and exercising his or her function in that place; or
	(c)	any person having authority to administer an oath in that place.
	(2)	Judicial and official notice may be taken—
	(a)	of the signature or seal of any such commissioner or agent or of any person appointed as aforesaid, or of any person having authority as aforesaid if he purports to have such authority, otherwise than by the law of a foreign country not under the dominion of His Majesty; and
	(b)	of the fact that any particular place is under the dominion of His Majesty.
	(3)	In the case of a person purporting to have such authority by the law of a foreign country not under the dominion of His Majesty, such authority may be verified by any of the persons mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b) and (ba) of subsection (1) hereof, or by the certificate of the superior court of such place, and if such authority purports to be so verified the oath or affidavit may be admitted or received without further proof of the signature or seal, or of the judicial, official, or other character of such first mentioned person.
	(4)	In this section—
oath includes affirmation and declaration;
affidavit includes any statutory or other declaration, acknowledgment, or examination;
diplomatic agent means ambassador, envoy, minister, charge d'affaires, or secretary of embassy or legation;
consular agent means consul-general, consul, vice-consul, or consular agent, or acting consul-general, acting consul, acting vice-consul, or acting consular agent.
66A—Taking of affidavits out of the State by sailors, soldiers and airmen
	(1)	Any oath or affidavit required to be made by any member of a fighting force, for the purpose of any court or matter in the State, may be taken or made in any place out of the State before any officer of any naval, military or air force of any part of His Majesty's dominions who holds a rank not below the following, namely:
	(a)	in the case of a naval officer, lieutenant;
	(b)	in the case of a military officer, captain;
	(c)	in the case of an officer of an air force, flight-lieutenant,
or before any person having authority to administer an oath in the State.
	(2)	An officer administering an oath or taking an affidavit by virtue of the powers conferred by this section shall state in the jurat or attestation to the oath or affidavit the following matters, namely:
	(a)	the date on which the oath or affidavit is taken or sworn;
	(b)	the full name and rank of the officer.
	(3)	An apparently genuine signature purporting to be the signature of a person administering an oath or taking an affidavit, and purporting to be the signature of an officer of a naval, military or air force of any part of His Majesty's dominions who holds a rank not below that specified in subsection (1) of this section, may be deemed to be the signature of such an officer unless the contrary is shown.
	(5)	In this section—
affidavit includes any statutory or other declaration, acknowledgment, or examination;
His Majesty's dominions includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and all self-governing dominions, dependencies, colonies, protectorates, protected states, and mandated territories of His Majesty;
member of a fighting force includes any man or woman who is a member of a naval, military or air force of any country, and any person who, as a representative or employee of any charitable, religious or other organisation for promoting the welfare of members of any such force, is attached to any such force;
oath includes affirmation and declaration.
67—Extension of provisions relating to affidavits to attestation etc of other documents
	(1)	The provisions of section 66 and 66A shall, as far as applicable, extend to every attestation, verification, acknowledgment, or signature in relation to any document required, authorised, or permitted by or under any statute or by custom or otherwise to be attested, verified, acknowledged, or signed, and to the doing of all notarial acts as if such provisions had been re-enacted in this section, excluding words relating to the administration of oaths or affirmations and the taking of affidavits and substituting therefor words relating to attestation, verification, acknowledgment, or signature, as the case may be.
	(1a)	Notwithstanding the provisions of section 66 of this Act as affected by subsection (1) of this section, judicial and official notice may be taken of the signature or seal of a person who, in connection with any of the matters to which those provisions so extend, appears to have signed that signature or affixed that seal while acting in the capacity of a notary public under the law for the time being in force in any country state or territory that is declared by proclamation to be a place within the Commonwealth of Nations to which this subsection applies, whether or not his authority for so acting has been verified in accordance with the provisions of subsection (3) of section 66 as so extended.
	(1b)	A proclamation referred to in subsection (1a) of this section may be made, and may be varied or cancelled by subsequent proclamation, as the Governor thinks fit.
	(2)	Notarial act includes any act, matter, or thing which in South Australia or elsewhere a notary public can attest or verify or otherwise do by or under any Act of Parliament or custom or otherwise for the purpose of being used in the State.
	(3)	The provisions of this section apply to documents required, authorised, or permitted by or under the Real Property Act 1886.

Division 5—Admission of official documents in evidence
67A—Admissibility of documents without proof of seal etc
Every document admissible in evidence for any purpose in any court of justice in England or Wales without proof of the seal, or stamp, or signature authenticating the document, or of the judicial or official character of the person appearing to have signed it, shall be admissible in evidence for the like purpose in any court of the State or before any person acting judicially under any law of the State, without proof of the seal, or stamp, or signature authenticating the document, or of the judicial or official character of the person appearing to have signed it.

Division 6—Power of foreign authority to take evidence
67AB—Taking of evidence in this State by foreign authorities
	(1)	Subject to subsection (2) of this section, a foreign authority may—
	(a)	take evidence; and
	(b)	administer an oath or affirmation to any witness for the purpose of taking evidence,
in this State.
	(2)	Where—
	(a)	the foreign authority is not a court constituted of a person who holds judicial office under the laws of the place in which the court is established; or
	(b)	the evidence to be taken by the foreign authority relates to criminal proceedings,
it shall not be lawful for the foreign authority to take evidence, or to administer an oath or affirmation, in this State without the authority of the Attorney-General.
	(3)	In this section—
foreign authority means—
	(a)	a court established under the law of a place outside this State; or
	(b)	any body or person authorised under the law of a place outside this State to take evidence; or
	(c)	any person commissioned or otherwise authorised by any such court, body or person to act on its behalf in taking evidence in this State.

Division 7—Select Committee evidence
67B—Evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry into Prostitution
	(1)	Where a person in evidence, or in a submission, to the Select Committee makes a statement tending to incriminate himself of an offence, no proceedings in respect of that offence shall be commenced against him in respect of that offence except upon the authorisation of the Attorney-General.
	(2)	Notwithstanding any law to the contrary no Minister or other person shall have power to give an authorisation under subsection (1) of this section on behalf of or in place of the Attorney-General.
	(3)	An apparently genuine document purporting to be under the hand of the Attorney-General and to authorise the commencement of proceedings in respect of an offence shall be accepted, in the absence of proof to the contrary, as proof of the authorisation required by subsection (1) of this section.
	(4)	A person who, without the authority of the Select Committee, publishes—
	(a)	the name of any person who gives evidence, or makes a submission, to the Select Committee; or
	(b)	any information or material tending to identify any person who gives evidence, or makes a submission, to the Select Committee,
shall be guilty of an offence and liable, upon summary conviction, to a penalty not exceeding $5 000.
	(5)	In this section—
the Select Committee means the Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry into Prostitution.

Division 8—Evidence of settlement negotiations
67C—Exclusion of evidence of settlement negotiations
	(1)	Subject to this section, evidence of a communication made in connection with an attempt to negotiate the settlement of a civil dispute, or of a document prepared in connection with such an attempt, is not admissible in any civil or criminal proceedings.
	(2)	Such evidence is, however, admissible if—
	(a)	the parties to the dispute consent; or
	(b)	the substance of the evidence has been disclosed with the express or implied consent of the parties to the dispute; or
	(c)	the substance of the evidence has been partly disclosed with the express or implied consent of the parties to the dispute, and full disclosure of the evidence is reasonably necessary to—
	(i)	enable a proper understanding of the other evidence that has already been adduced; or
	(ii)	avoid unfairness to any of the parties to the dispute; or
	(d)	the communication or document included a statement to the effect that it was not to be treated as confidential; or
	(e)	the proceeding in which the evidence is to be adduced is a proceeding to enforce an agreement for the settlement of the dispute or a proceeding in which the making of such an agreement is in issue; or
	(f)	the evidence tends to contradict or to qualify evidence that has already been admitted about the course of an attempt to settle the dispute; or
	(g)	the making of the communication, or the preparation of the document, affects the rights of a party to the dispute; or
	(h)	the communication was made, or the document was prepared, in furtherance of—
	(i)	the commission of a fraud or an offence; or
	(ii)	the doing of an act that renders a person liable to a civil penalty; or
	(iii)	the abuse of a statutory power.
	(3)	Subsection (1) does not apply to parts of a document that do not concern attempts to negotiate a settlement of a dispute, if it would not be misleading to adduce evidence of only those parts of the document.

Division 9—Protected communications
67D—Interpretation
In this Division—
committal proceedings means proceedings for the preliminary examination of a charge of an indictable offence;
counsellor or therapist means a person whose profession or work consists of, or includes, providing psychiatric or psychological therapy to victims of trauma (and includes a person who works voluntarily in that field);
protected communication means a communication that is protected by public interest immunity under section 67E;
psychiatric or psychological therapy includes counselling;
therapeutic context—a communication relating to a victim or alleged victim of a sexual offence is made in a therapeutic context if—
	(a)	the communication is made—
	(i)	to enable a counsellor or therapist to assess the nature and severity of the trauma suffered by the victim or alleged victim, or consequent psychiatric, psychological or emotional harm; or
	(ii)	for the purposes, or in the course, of psychiatric or psychological therapy provided to the victim or alleged victim; and
	(b)	the communication is made in circumstances that give rise to a duty of confidentiality or a reasonable expectation of confidentiality.
67E—Certain communications to be protected by public interest immunity
	(1)	A communication relating to a victim or alleged victim of a sexual offence is, if made in a therapeutic context, protected from disclosure in legal proceedings by public interest immunity.
	(2)	However, the following communications are not subject to public interest immunity:
	(a)	a communication made for the purposes of, or in the course of, a physical examination of the victim or alleged victim of a sexual offence by a registered medical practitioner or registered nurse; or
	(b)	a communication made for the purposes of legal proceedings arising from the commission of the alleged offence or for commencing such legal proceedings; or
	(c)	a communication as to which reasonable grounds exist to suspect that the communication evidences a criminal fraud, an attempt to pervert the administration of justice, perjury or another offence.
	(3)	A public interest immunity arising under this section cannot be waived by—
	(a)	the counsellor or therapist; or
	(b)	a party to the protected communication; or
	(c)	the victim or alleged victim of the sexual offence or the guardian of the victim or alleged victim.
67F—Evidence of protected communications
	(1)	Evidence of a protected communication—
	(a)	is entirely inadmissible in committal proceedings; and
	(b)	cannot be admitted in other legal proceedings unless—
	(i)	the court gives permission to a party to the proceedings to adduce the evidence; and
	(ii)	the admission of the evidence is consistent with any limitations or restrictions fixed by the court; and
	(c)	is not liable to discovery or any other form of pre-trial disclosure.
	(2)	On an application for permission to adduce evidence of a protected communication, the judge may make a preliminary examination of the relevant evidence if satisfied that—
	(a)	the applicant has a legitimate forensic purpose for seeking permission to adduce the evidence; and
	(b)	there is an arguable case that the evidence would materially assist the applicant in the presentation or furtherance of his or her case.
	(3)	For the purposes of a preliminary examination of evidence, the court may order the counsellor or therapist to do one or more of the following:
	(a)	to provide written answers to questions;
	(b)	to produce written materials relating to the relevant protected communications;
	(c)	to appear for oral examination.
Exceptions—
1	If the counsellor or therapist who provided the counselling or therapy is an employee, answerable to another (the principal) in the organisation in which the counsellor or therapist is employed, an order under this subsection is to be addressed to the principal unless the court is satisfied that there are good reasons for not taking that course in the circumstances of the particular case.
2	An order requiring a person to appear for oral examination is not to be made unless the court is satisfied that the examination cannot otherwise be effectively conducted.
	(4)	The following provisions govern the conduct of a preliminary examination:
	(a)	the preliminary examination is to be conducted—
	(i)	in the absence of the jury (if any); and
	(ii)	in a room closed to the public; and
	(b)	the evidence taken at the preliminary examination is not to be disclosed to the parties or their legal representatives except to the extent determined by the court; and
	(c)	no record of the preliminary examination is to be available for public access.
	(5)	In deciding whether to grant permission to adduce evidence of a protected communication, the court is to weigh—
	(a)	the public interest in preserving the confidentiality of protected communications;
against—
	(b)	the public interest in preventing a miscarriage of justice that might arise from suppression of relevant evidence.
	(6)	In weighing the above considerations, the court is to have regard to—
	(a)	the need to encourage victims of sexual offences to seek psychiatric or psychological therapy and the extent to which the effectiveness of such therapy is dependent on the maintenance of confidentiality between the counsellor or therapist and the victim;
	(b)	the probative value of the evidence and whether its exclusion may lead to a miscarriage of justice;
	(c)	the attitude of the victim or alleged victim to whom the communication relates (or the guardian of the victim or alleged victim) to the admission of the evidence;
	(d)	whether admission of the evidence is being sought on the basis of a discriminatory belief or bias;
	(e)	the extent to which admission of the evidence would infringe a reasonable expectation of privacy and the potential prejudice to any person who would otherwise be protected by public interest immunity.
	(7)	The court is not to grant permission to adduce evidence of a protected communication unless satisfied that the public interest in preserving the confidentiality of protected communications is outweighed, in the circumstances of the case, by the public interest in preventing a miscarriage of justice that might arise from suppression of relevant evidence.
	(8)	If the court decides to grant permission to adduce evidence of a protected communication, it may make ancillary orders—
	(a)	to prevent further publication or dissemination of the evidence; or
	(b)	for any other purpose the court considers appropriate.

Division 10—Sensitive material
67G—Interpretation and application
	(1)	In this Division—
access—a person gives another person access to sensitive material if the person—
	(a)	allows the other to view the material; or
	(b)	gives the other a copy of the material; or
	(c)	gives the other a tape, disk or device from which the material may be produced or reproduced; or
	(d)	transmits the material, or a copy of the material, to the other in the form of computer data;
conditions of access—see section 67I(4);
criminal investigation means the investigation of an offence, or alleged offence;
criminal proceedings means proceedings against a person for an offence (whether summary or indictable), including the following:
	(a)	proceedings for the preliminary examination of an indictable offence;
	(b)	proceedings relating to bail;
	(c)	proceedings for the trial of an offence;
	(d)	proceedings relating to sentencing;
	(e)	proceedings on an appeal against conviction or sentence;
private act means—
	(a)	a sexual act; or
	(b)	an act involving an intimate bodily function such as using a toilet; or
	(c)	an activity involving nudity or exposure or partial exposure of sexual organs, pubic area, buttocks or female breasts;
prosecuting authority means—
	(a)	in relation to criminal proceedings—the Director of Public Prosecutions, a delegate of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a police officer, or any other person acting in a public official capacity, who is responsible for commencing or conducting a prosecution; and
	(b)	in relation to a criminal investigation—a police officer or any other person acting in a public official capacity who is responsible for conducting a criminal investigation;
public official means—
	(a)	a police officer; or
	(b)	a person who holds an office or position in the employment of the State or an instrumentality or agency of the State; or
	(c)	any person classified by regulation as a public official;
restricted access to sensitive material means access subject to conditions imposed under this Division;
sensitive material has the meaning given by section 67H;
sensitive material notice—see section 67I;
unrestricted access to sensitive material means access that is not subject to conditions imposed under this Division.
	(2)	In this Division, a reference to a prosecuting authority includes a reference to a legal practitioner representing the prosecuting authority.
67H—Meaning of sensitive material
	(1)	For the purposes of this Division, sensitive material includes—
	(a)	the whole or a part of—
	(i)	an audio visual record; or
	(ii)	the transcript of any such record,
of the interview of a witness to whom this paragraph applies that has been made pursuant to—
	(iii)	section 12AB; or
	(iv)	Part 17 Division 3 of the Summary Offences Act 1953; and
	(b)	anything that contains or displays an image of a person if—
	(i)	the image is of the person engaged or apparently engaged in a private act; or
	(ii)	the image is of the victim, or alleged victim, of a sexual offence or an offence of stalking under section 19AA of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935; or
	(iii)	the image is of the person taken or made after the person's death.
	(2)	A reference to sensitive material extends to anything in a prosecuting authority's possession that the prosecuting authority reasonably considers to be sensitive material.
	(3)	Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) applies to a witness—
	(a)	who is—
	(i)	a young child; or
	(ii)	a person with a disability that adversely affects the person's capacity to give a coherent account of the person's experiences or to respond rationally to questions; and
	(b)	who is the victim of a sexual offence.
67HA—Court may give access to certain sensitive material in certain circumstances
A court may, if of the opinion that giving access to sensitive material of a kind referred to in section 67H(1)(a) that has been, or may be, admitted as evidence in proceedings before the court would assist a medical practitioner or psychologist—
	(a)	to prepare an expert report for the court; or
	(b)	to provide treatment or therapy to the witness,
make the sensitive material available to the medical practitioner or psychologist (as the case may be) subject to such conditions as the court thinks fit.
67I—Procedures for giving restricted access to sensitive material
	(1)	If, but for this Division, a prosecuting authority would be required to give unrestricted access to sensitive material, the prosecuting authority has a discretion to give either unrestricted or restricted access to the sensitive material.
	(2)	A prosecuting authority cannot, however, exercise its powers under this Division to restrict access to sensitive material by—
	(a)	a court; or
	(b)	a public official who reasonably requires access to the sensitive material for purposes connected with his or her official functions.
	(3)	If the prosecuting authority decides to give restricted access, the authority must give the person entitled to access a notice (a sensitive material notice) that complies with this section.
	(4)	The sensitive material notice must—
	(a)	describe the sensitive material; and
	(b)	indicate that the prosecuting authority has decided to exercise its powers under this section to restrict the person's access to the sensitive material; and
	(c)	state that the restricted access to the sensitive material is subject to the following conditions:
	(i)	the condition that the material will be available for examination by the person under the supervision of the prosecuting authority at a place specified in the notice and at a time to be arranged at the request of the person;
	(ii)	any other condition the prosecuting authority considers necessary or desirable to protect the integrity of the material and to prevent unauthorised reproduction or dissemination; and
	(d)	set out the name and contact details of the person who is responsible for arranging restricted access to the material on behalf of the prosecuting authority.
	(5)	After receiving a sensitive material notice, the person entitled to restricted access may ask the prosecuting authority to give the person access to the sensitive material.
	(6)	The prosecuting authority must, as soon as practicable after receiving such a request, give the person entitled to restricted access such opportunity or opportunities as may be reasonable in the circumstances to access the sensitive material under the conditions of access.
	(7)	A decision by a prosecuting authority under this section to restrict access to sensitive material is administrative and final and not subject to any form of review.
	(8)	A person who is given restricted access to sensitive material by a prosecuting authority under this section must not contravene a condition of access.
Maximum penalty: $8 000 or imprisonment for 2 years or both.
67J—Improper dissemination of sensitive material
	(1)	A person who creates sensitive material for a prosecuting authority, or who obtains possession of sensitive material on behalf of or from a prosecuting authority, in connection with a criminal investigation, or criminal or civil proceedings, must not allow access to the material except—
	(a)	for the legitimate purposes of the investigation or proceedings; or
	(b)	as may be authorised by the prosecuting authority.
Maximum penalty: $8 000 or imprisonment for 2 years or both.
	(2)	A public official who creates, or obtains possession of, sensitive material in connection with official functions must not allow access to the material except as reasonably required for purposes connected with his or her official functions (which may include functions relating to education or training).
Maximum penalty: $8 000 or imprisonment for 2 years or both.
	(3)	In proceedings for an offence against subsection (1) or (2), it is a defence to prove that the act or omission constituting the offence was attributable to an honest and reasonable mistake on the defendant's part.

Part 8—Publication of evidence
Division 1—Preliminary
68—Interpretation
In this Part—
court includes any person acting judicially;
evidence includes any statement made before a court whether or not the statement constitutes evidence for the purposes of the proceedings before the court;
interim suppression order means a suppression order under section 69A(3);
news media means those who carry on the business of publishing;
newspaper means a newspaper, journal, magazine or other publication that is published at periodic intervals;
primary court, in relation to an appeal, means the court by which the decision or order subject to appeal was made;
publish means publish by newspaper, radio or television, or on the internet, or by other similar means of communication to the public;
suppression order means an order—
	(a)	forbidding the publication of specified evidence or of any account or report of specified evidence; or
	(b)	forbidding the publication of the name of—
	(i)	a party or witness; or
	(ii)	a person alluded to in the course of proceedings before the court,
and of any other material tending to identify any such person.

Division 2—Orders for clearing court or suppressing publication of evidence etc
69—Order for clearing court
	(1)	Where a court considers it desirable in the interests of the administration of justice, or in order to prevent hardship or embarrassment to any person, to exercise the powers conferred by this section, it may order specified persons, or all persons except those specified, to absent themselves from the place in which the court is being held during the whole or any part of the proceedings before the court.
	(1a)	Where the alleged victim of a sexual offence is a child and is to give evidence (including evidence admitted in the form of an audio visual record) in proceedings related to the offence, an order must be made under subsection (1) requiring all persons except—
	(a)	those whose presence is required for the purposes of the proceedings; and
	(b)	a person who is present at the request or with the consent of the child to provide emotional support for the child; and
	(c)	any other person who, in the opinion of the court, should be allowed to be present,
to absent themselves from the place in which the court is being held while the child is giving evidence.
	(2)	The court may, on the application of a person against whom an order under subsection (1) operates, make available to him a transcript of evidence, and a record of proceedings, taken before the court during the operation of the order.
	(3)	Where a court refuses an application under subsection (2), the applicant may appeal against the refusal.
69A—Suppression orders
	(1)	Where a court is satisfied that a suppression order should be made—
	(a)	to prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice; or
	(b)	to prevent undue hardship—
	(i)	to an alleged victim of crime; or
	(ii)	to a witness or potential witness in civil or criminal proceedings who is not a party to those proceedings; or
	(iii)	to a child,
the court may, subject to this section, make such an order.
	(2)	If a court is considering whether to make a suppression order (other than an interim suppression order), the court—
	(a)	must recognise that a primary objective in the administration of justice is to safeguard the public interest in open justice and the consequential right of the news media to publish information relating to court proceedings; and
	(b)	may only make a suppression order if satisfied that special circumstances exist giving rise to a sufficiently serious threat of prejudice to the proper administration of justice, or undue hardship, to justify the making of the order in the particular case.
	(3)	Where an application is made to a court for a suppression order, the court may, without inquiring into the merits of the application, make such an order (an interim suppression order) to have effect, subject to revocation by the court, until the application is determined; but if such an order is made the court must determine the application as a matter of urgency and, wherever practicable, within 72 hours after making the interim suppression order.
	(4)	A suppression order may be made subject to such exceptions and conditions as the court thinks fit and specifies in the order.
	(5)	Where an application is made to a court for a suppression order—
	(a)	any of the following persons, namely:
	(i)	the applicant for the suppression order;
	(ii)	a party to the proceedings in which the suppression order is sought;
	(iii)	a representative of a newspaper or a radio or television station;
	(iv)	any person who has, in the opinion of the court, a proper interest in the question of whether a suppression order should be made,
is entitled to make submissions to the court on the application and may, with the permission of the court, call or give evidence in support of those submissions;
	(b)	the court may (but is not obliged to) delay determining the application to make possible or facilitate non-party intervention in the proceedings under paragraph (a)(iii) or (iv).
	(6)	A suppression order may be varied or revoked by the court by which it was made, on the application of any of the persons entitled to make submissions by virtue of subsection (5)(a).
	(7)	On an application for the making, variation or revocation of a suppression order—
	(a)	a matter of fact is sufficiently proved if proved on the balance of probabilities;
	(b)	if there appears to be no serious dispute as to a particular matter of fact, the court (having regard to the desirability of dealing expeditiously with the application) may—
	(i)	dispense with the taking of evidence on that matter; and
	(ii)	accept the relevant fact as proved.
	(8)	If a court makes a suppression order, the court must—
	(a)	as soon as reasonably practicable forward to the Registrar a copy of the order; and
	(b)	except in the case of an interim suppression order—within 30 days, forward to the Attorney-General a report setting out—
	(i)	the terms of the order; and
	(ii)	the name of any person whose name is suppressed from publication; and
	(iii)	a transcript or other record of any evidence suppressed from publication; and
	(iv)	full particulars of the reasons for which the order was made.
	(9)	If a court orders the variation or revocation of a suppression order, the court must as soon as reasonably practicable forward a copy of the order to the Registrar.
	(10)	The Registrar—
	(a)	will establish and maintain a register of all suppression orders; and
	(b)	will, immediately after receiving a copy of a suppression order, or an order for the variation or revocation of a suppression order, enter the order in the register; and
	(c)	will, when an order is entered in the register, immediately transmit by fax, email or other electronic means notice of the order to the nominated address of each authorised news media representative.
	(11)	The register will be made available for inspection by members of the public free of charge during ordinary office hours.
	(12)	Without limiting the ways in which notice of a suppression order, or an order varying or revoking a suppression order, may be given, the entry of such an order in the register is notice to the news media and the public generally (within and outside the State) of the making and terms of the order.
	(13)	In this section—
authorised news media representative means a person—
	(a)	who is nominated by a member of the news media to be the member's authorised representative for the purpose of receiving notices under subsection (10)(c); and
	(b)	who has given the Registrar a notice specifying the representative's nominated address for the receipt of notices under subsection (10)(c); and
	(c)	who has paid the relevant fee or fees (which may consist of, or include, periodic fees) fixed by the regulations;
nominated address of a nominated representative means the fax number, email address or other address for the receipt of electronic communications nominated by the representative as the address to which notices may be sent to the representative by the Registrar under subsection (10)(c);
Registrar means a person to whom the functions of the Registrar under this section are assigned by the Attorney-General.
69AB—Review of suppression orders
	(1)	Subject to the regulations, a suppression order becomes liable to review as follows:
	(a)	if the order relates to criminal proceedings and is in force at the time, the order becomes liable to review as follows:
	(i)	on the completion or termination of a preliminary examination;
	(ii)	on the withdrawal of a charge after the completion of a preliminary examination;
	(iii)	on the acquittal of the defendant;
	(iv)	when an appeal against conviction or sentence has been determined or all rights to appeal against conviction or sentence have been exhausted or expired;
	(v)	on the defendant being declared under Part 8A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 to be liable to supervision;
	(vi)	in any other case—when the proceedings are otherwise concluded or terminated,
(and, if more than 1 such occasion for review occurs in the course of the same proceedings, the order becomes liable to review on each such occasion);
	(b)	if the order relates to a coronial inquest, the order becomes liable to review when the coroner gives his or her findings on the inquest; 
	(c)	if the order relates to civil proceedings, the order becomes liable to review when the court gives its judgment in the proceedings or the proceedings are settled or withdrawn.
	(2)	When a suppression order becomes liable to review, the court that made the order must conduct a review as soon as practicable.
	(3)	The following persons are entitled to be heard on a review:
	(a)	the applicant for the suppression order;
	(b)	a party to the proceedings in which the suppression order was made; 
	(c)	a representative of a newspaper or a radio or television station; 
	(d)	any other person who has, in the opinion of the court, a proper interest in the matters to be considered on the review.
	(4)	On a review, the court may confirm, vary or revoke the suppression order.
69AC—Appeal against suppression order etc
	(1)	An appeal lies against—
	(a)	a suppression order or a decision by a court not to make a suppression order; or
	(b)	the variation or revocation of a suppression order or a decision by a court not to vary or revoke a suppression order; or
	(c)	a decision by a court on the review of a suppression order.
	(2)	Any of the following persons is entitled to bring, or to be heard on, an appeal under this section:
	(a)	the applicant for the suppression order;
	(b)	a party to the proceedings in which the order or decision subject to appeal was made;
	(c)	a representative of a newspaper or a radio or television station; 
	(d)	a person who appeared in proceedings before the primary court related to the making or review of the suppression order;
	(e)	a person who—
	(i)	did not appear in proceedings before the primary court related to the making or review of the suppression order but has, in the opinion of the appellate court, a proper interest in the subject matter of the appeal or proposed appeal; and
	(ii)	satisfies the appellate court that the failure to appear in the proceedings before the primary court is not attributable to a lack of proper diligence.
69B—Appeals
	(1)	An appeal under this Division lies to—
	(a)	the court to which appeals lie against final judgments or orders of the primary court; and
	(b)	where there is no such court—the Supreme Court constituted of a single judge,
and where the appeal lies in accordance with the above principles to some court other than the Full Court, a further appeal lies to the Full Court from a judgment or order of the primary appellate court.
	(2)	An appeal under this Division shall be heard and determined as expeditiously as possible.
	(3)	Upon an appeal under this Division, the appellate court—
	(a)	may confirm, vary or revoke the order or decision subject to the appeal; and
	(b)	may make any order or decision under this Division that could have been made in the first instance; and
	(c)	may make orders for costs and orders dealing with any other incidental or ancillary matters.
	(4)	Except as provided in this Division, no appeal lies against a decision or order of a court made under this Division.
70—Disobedience to orders under this Division
	(1)	If a person disobeys an order under this Division and the court by which the order was made has power to punish for contempt, the person is guilty of a contempt of the court.
	(1a)	If a person disobeys an order under this Division, whether or not the court by which the order was made has power to punish for contempt, the person is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000 or imprisonment for 2 years;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(2)	A person shall not, in respect of the same act or default, be proceeded against under this section both for a contempt of court and a summary offence.
71—Attorney-General to provide annual report
	(1)	The Attorney-General shall, on or before the thirty-first day of October in each year, prepare a report relating to the preceding financial year specifying—
	(a)	the total number of orders made under this Division or a corresponding previous enactment; and
	(b)	the number of such orders made by each of the various courts; and
	(c)	a summary of the reasons assigned by the courts for making such orders.
	(2)	The Attorney-General shall, as soon as practicable after the report is prepared, cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of Parliament.

Division 3—Sexual cases
71A—Restriction on reporting on sexual offences
	(1)	Subject to this section, a person must not, before the relevant date, publish—
	(a)	any evidence given in proceedings against a person charged with a sexual offence (whether the evidence is given in the course of proceedings for a summary or minor indictable offence or in a preliminary examination of an indictable offence); or
	(b)	any report on such proceedings; or
	(c)	any evidence given in, or report of, related proceedings in which the accused person is involved after the accused person is charged but before the relevant date,
unless the accused person consents to the publication.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(2)	Subject to this section, a person must not, before the relevant date, publish any statement or representation—
	(a)	by which the identity of a person who has been, or is about to be, charged with a sexual offence is revealed; or
	(b)	from which the identity of a person who has been, or is about to be, charged with a sexual offence, might reasonably be inferred,
unless the accused person consents to the publication.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(3)	If an accused person has not consented to the publication of material under subsection (1) or (2), the court may, on application, make an order (a publication order) that the restriction on publication under the relevant subsection be varied or removed altogether, if satisfied that to do so—
	(a)	may assist in the investigation of an offence; or
	(b)	is otherwise in the public interest.
	(3a)	A publication order may be subject to such exceptions and conditions as the court thinks fit and specifies in the order.
	(3b)	An application for a publication order may be made, with the permission of the court, by any person who has, in the opinion of the court, a proper interest in the question of whether an order should be made.
	(3c)	If the court permits an application for a publication order to be made, any of the following persons may make submissions to the court on the application and, with the permission of the court, call or give evidence in support of those submissions:
	(a)	the applicant for the publication order;
	(b)	a party to the proceedings in which the order is sought;
	(c)	a representative of a newspaper or a radio or television station;
	(d)	any other person who has, in the opinion of the court, a proper interest in the question of whether an order should be made.
	(3d)	A publication order may be varied or revoked by the court by which it was made, on the application of any of the persons entitled to make submissions by virtue of subsection (3c).
	(3e)	On an application for the making, variation or revocation of a publication order—
	(a)	a matter of fact is sufficiently proved if proved on the balance of probabilities; and
	(b)	if there appears to be no serious dispute as to a particular matter of fact, the court (having regard to the desirability of dealing expeditiously with the application) may—
	(i)	dispense with the taking of evidence on that matter; and
	(ii)	accept the relevant fact as proved.
	(4)	A person must not publish any statement or representation—
	(a)	by which the identity of a person alleged in any legal proceedings to be the victim of a sexual offence is revealed; or
	(b)	from which the identity of a person alleged in any legal proceedings to be the victim of a sexual offence might reasonably be inferred,
unless the judge authorises, or the alleged victim consents to, the publication (but no such authorisation or consent can be given where the alleged victim is a child).
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(5)	In this section—
relevant date means—
	(aa)	in relation to a charge of a major indictable offence for which the Magistrates Court is to determine and impose sentence—the date on which a plea of guilty is entered by the accused person; or
	(a)	in relation to a charge of any other major indictable offence or a charge of a minor indictable offence for which the accused person has elected to be tried by a superior court—the date on which the accused person is committed for trial or sentence; or
	(b)	in relation to a charge of any other minor indictable offence or a charge of a summary offence—the date on which a plea of guilty is entered by the accused person or the date on which the accused person is found guilty following a trial; or
	(c)	in any case—the date on which the charge is dismissed or the proceedings lapse by reason of the death of the accused person, for want of prosecution, or for any other reason.

Division 4—Cases generally
71B—Publishers required to report result of certain proceedings
	(1)	Where—
	(a)	a report of proceedings taken against a person for an offence is published;
	(b)	the report identifies the person against whom the proceedings have been taken or contains information tending to identify that person;
	(c)	the report is published before the result of the proceedings is known;
	(d)	those proceedings do not result in conviction of the person to whom the report relates of the offence with which he was charged,
the person by whom the publication is made shall, as soon as practicable after the determination of the proceedings, publish a fair and accurate report of the result of the proceedings with reasonable prominence having regard to the prominence given to the earlier report.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(2)	A person required under subsection (1) to publish a report of the result of proceedings may apply to the Supreme Court for directions in relation to the manner in which he should comply with that subsection.
	(3)	Where—
	(a)	a report of proceedings taken against a person for an offence is published;
	(b)	the report identifies the person against whom the proceedings have been taken or contains information tending to identify that person;
	(c)	the report is published after the result of the proceedings is known;
	(d)	those proceedings did not result in conviction of the person to whom the report relates of the offence with which he was charged,
the person by whom the publication is made shall include prominently in the report a statement of the result of the proceedings.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(4)	In this section—
proceedings includes, in relation to an offence, the laying of a charge of the offence.
71C—Restriction on reporting of proceedings following acquittals
	(1)	Where an application has been made for the reservation of a question of law arising at the trial of a person who was tried on information and acquitted, a person must not publish any report, statement or representation in relation to the application or any consequent proceedings—
	(a)	by which the identity of the acquitted person is revealed; or
	(b)	from which the identity of the acquitted person might reasonably be inferred,
unless the acquitted person consents to the publication.
Maximum penalty: 
	(a)	in the case of a natural person—$10 000;
	(b)	in the case of a body corporate—$120 000.
	(2)	This section does not apply to the publication in printed or electronic form of material that—
	(a)	consists solely or primarily of the reported judgements or decisions of a court or courts; or
	(b)	is of a technical nature designed primarily for use by legal practitioners.

Part 9—Miscellaneous
73—Regulations
The Governor may make such regulations as are necessary or expedient for the purposes of, or as are contemplated by, this Act.

Schedule 1—Review of identity parade evidence
1—Review and report on section 34AB
	(1)	The Minister must, within 12 months after the commencement of this clause, cause a review to be carried out of any orders and directions issued by the Commissioner of Police to support the operation of section 34AB of this Act (as inserted by the Evidence (Identification Evidence) Amendment Bill 2013), including the extent to which any such orders and directions—
	(a)	reflect scientific best practice; and
	(b)	make provision for the following:
	(i)	persons with disability;
	(ii)	persons of cultural and linguistic diversity.
Example—
Ensuring that the procedures to be followed are accessible to persons referred to in paragraph (b).
	(2)	A report on the review must be provided to the Minister within 3 months after the commencement of the review.
	(3)	The Minister must, within 12 sitting days after receipt of the report under this clause, cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of Parliament.

Schedule 4—Affidavit about proof of identity of person convicted in another State or Territory

Legislative history
Notes
	•	This version is comprised of the following:
Part 1	1.7.2016	
Part 2	1.7.2016	
Part 3	8.9.2016	
Part 4	4.4.2016	
Part 6B	1.1.2003 (Reprint No 13)	
Part 6C	23.11.2008	
Part 7	1.7.2016	
Part 8	1.7.2016	
Part 9	1.1.2003 (Reprint No 13)	
Schedules	7.7.2014	
	•	Please note—References in the legislation to other legislation or instruments or to titles of bodies or offices are not automatically updated as part of the program for the revision and publication of legislation and therefore may be obsolete.
	•	Earlier versions of this Act (historical versions) are listed at the end of the legislative history.
	•	For further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.
Legislation repealed by principal Act
The Evidence Act 1929 repealed the following:
An Act for Improving the Law of Evidence
Ordinance to Facilitate the Admission of the unsworn Testimony of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of South Australia and the parts adjacent
Ordinance to amend Ordinance 3 of 1848
An Act to amend the Law of Evidence
Evidence Further Amendment Act 1869
An Act for Shortening and Explaining the Language used in Acts of Parliament, and for other purposes
The Telegraphic Messages Act 1873
The Bankers Books Evidence Act 1879
Evidence Further Amendment Act 1888
The Oaths and Affirmations Act 1911
Evidence Publication Act 1917
Evidence Amendment Act 1925
Legislation amended by principal Act
The Evidence Act 1929 amended the following:
The Supreme Court Procedure Act 1855
An Act for amending the Law of Evidence and Practice on Criminal trials
Matrimonial Causes Act 1867
The Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1876
Principal Act and amendments
New entries appear in bold.
Year	No	Title	Assent	Commencement	
1929	1907	Evidence Act 1929	30.10.1929	30.10.1929	
1933	2110	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1933	31.8.1933	31.8.1933	
1940	40	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1940	28.11.1940	28.11.1940	
1941	27	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1941	13.11.1941	13.11.1941	
1945	29	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1945	3.1.1946	3.1.1946	
1947	5	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1947	2.10.1947	2.10.1947	
1949	36	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1949	24.11.1949	24.11.1949	
1952	42	Statute Law Revision Act 1952	4.12.1952	4.12.1952	
1955	26	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1955	1.12.1955	1.12.1955	
1957	36	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1957	14.11.1957	14.11.1957	
1960	25	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1960	27.10.1960	27.10.1960	
1968	46	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1968	19.12.1968	19.12.1968	
1969	72	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1969	11.12.1969	31.8.1970 (Gazette 20.8.1970 p701)	
1972	53	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1972	27.4.1972	1.2.1973 (Gazette 1.2.1973 p377)	
1972	54	Local and District Criminal Courts Act Amendment Act 1972	27.4.1972	9.11.1972 (Gazette 9.11.1972 p2252)	
1974	71	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1974	17.10.1974	28.11.1974 (Gazette 28.11.1974 p3372)	
1976	84	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1976	9.12.1976	9.12.1976	
1978	65	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1978	28.9.1978	28.9.1978	
1979	9	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1979	1.3.1979	1.3.1979	
1982	40	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1982	22.4.1982	6.5.1982 (Gazette 6.5.1982 p1438)	
1983	47	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1983	16.6.1983	16.6.1983	
1983	55	Evidence Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1983	16.6.1983	1.8.1983 (Gazette 7.7.1983 p5)	
1984	24	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1984	10.5.1984	10.5.1984	
1984	56	Statutes Amendment (Oaths and Affirmations) Act 1984	24.5.1984	1.7.1984 (Gazette 28.6.1984 p1897)	
1984	90	Evidence Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1984	29.11.1984	1.1.1985 (Gazette 13.12.1984 p1811)	
1984	107	Evidence Act Amendment Act (No. 3) 1984	20.12.1984	20.12.1984	
1985	96	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1985	1.11.1985	1.12.1985 (Gazette 7.11.1985 p1361)	
1986	107	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1986	18.12.1986	5.4.1987 (Gazette 26.2.1987 p434)	
1988	32	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1988	21.4.1988	1.5.1988 (Gazette 28.4.1988 p1066)	
1988	45	Evidence Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1988	5.5.1988	5.5.1988	
1989	43	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1989	4.5.1989	15.5.1989 (Gazette 11.5.1989 p1250)	
1990	72	Evidence Act Amendment Act 1990	20.12.1990	20.12.1990	
1991	41	Evidence Amendment Act 1991	31.10.1991	16.7.1992 (Gazette 16.7.1992 p622)	
1991	49	Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1991	21.11.1991	6.7.1992 (Gazette 25.6.1992 p1869)	
1992	26	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 1992	14.5.1992	6.7.1992 (Gazette 2.7.1992 p209)	
1992	76	Statutes Amendment (Right of Reply) Act 1992	26.11.1992	s 5—1.1.1993 (Gazette 10.12.1992 p1752)	
1993	37	Evidence (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 1993	13.5.1993	15.7.1993 (Gazette 15.7.1993 p520)	
1993	53	Evidence (Vulnerable Witnesses) Amendment Act 1993	27.5.1993	1.9.1993 (Gazette 15.7.1993 p520)	
1994	59	Criminal Law Consolidation (Felonies and Misdemeanours) Amendment Act 1994	27.10.1994	1.1.1995 (Gazette 8.12.1994 p1942)	
1995	27	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 1995	27.4.1995	s 13—10.7.1995 (Gazette 29.6.1995 p2973)	
1996	26	Evidence (Settlement Negotiations) Amendment Act 1996	2.5.1996	2.5.1996	
1997	59	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 1997	31.7.1997	Pt 4 (s 6)—14.9.1997 (Gazette 11.9.1997 p704)	
1998	9	Evidence (Use of Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment Act 1998	2.4.1998	27.6.1999 (Gazette 17.6.1999 p3090)	
1999	17	Evidence (Confidential Communications) Amendment Act 1999	1.4.1999	27.6.1999 (Gazette 17.6.1999 p3090)	
1999	18	Evidence (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 1999	1.4.1999	27.6.1999 (Gazette 17.6.1999 p3090)	
1999	33	Financial Sector Reform (South Australia) Act 1999	17.6.1999	Sch (item 21)—1.7.1999 being the date specified under s 3(16) of the Financial Sector Reform (Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1999 of the Commonwealth as the transfer date for the purposes of that Act: s 2(2)	
2000	57	Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2000	20.7.2000	Pt 11 (s 25)—14.8.2000 (Gazette 10.8.2000 p444)	
2002	32	Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	28.11.2002	Sch (cl 2)—1.1.2003 (Gazette 19.12.2002 p4735)	
2002	33	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2002	28.11.2002	Pt 6 (ss 8 & 9)—3.3.2003 (Gazette 27.2.2003 p807)	
2003	33	Coroners Act 2003	31.7.2003	Sch (cll 10—12)—1.7.2005 (Gazette 23.6.2005 p1899)	
2003	44	Statute Law Revision Act 2003	23.10.2003	Sch 1—24.11.2003 (Gazette 13.11.2003 p4048)	
2005	50	Defamation Act 2005	27.10.2005	Sch 1 (cl 5)—1.1.2006: s 2	
2006	17	Statutes Amendment (New Rules of Civil Procedure) Act 2006	6.7.2006	Pt 31 (ss 113—118)—4.9.2006 (Gazette 17.8.2006 p2831)	
2006	30	Evidence (Suppression Orders) Amendment Act 2006	23.11.2006	1.4.2007 (Gazette 29.3.2007 p929)	
2006	33	Evidence (Use of Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment Act 2006	30.11.2006	1.4.2007 (Gazette 22.3.2007 p864)	
2006	43	Statutes Amendment (Domestic Partners) Act 2006	14.12.2006	Pt 33 (s 97)—1.6.2007 (Gazette 26.4.2007 p1352)	
2006	44	Statutes Amendment (Justice Portfolio) Act 2006	14.12.2006	Pt 13 (s 21)—18.1.2007 (Gazette 18.1.2007 p234)	
2007	48	Statutes Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2007	8.11.2007	Pt 4 (s 6)—17.7.2008 (Gazette 17.7.2008 p3372)	
2008	7	Statutes Amendment (Evidence and Procedure) Act 2008	17.4.2008	Pt 4 (ss 10—22)—23.11.2008 (Gazette 20.11.2008 p5171) except new ss 13A, 13C & 13D (as inserted by s 12)—4.10.2009 (Gazette 1.10.2009 p4764)	
2008	10	Criminal Law Consolidation (Rape and Sexual Offences) Amendment Act 2008	17.4.2008	Sch 1 (cl 5)—23.11.2008 (Gazette 20.11.2008 p5171)	
2009	85	Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009	10.12.2009	Sch 1 (cl 14)—9.12.2011 (Gazette 20.10.2011 p4269)	
2011	34	Evidence (Discreditable Conduct) Amendment Act 2011	22.9.2011	Pt 2 (s 4) & Sch 1—1.6.2012 (Gazette 31.5.2012 p2637)	
2012	12	Statutes Amendment (Serious and Organised Crime) Act 2012	10.5.2012	Pt 8 (ss 40—42)—17.6.2012 (Gazette 14.6.2012 p2756)	
2012	44	Evidence (Reporting on Sexual Offences) Amendment Act 2012	22.11.2012	11.2.2013 (Gazette 7.2.2013 p262)	
2013	11	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2013	18.4.2013	Pt 6 (s 14)—9.6.2013 (Gazette 6.6.2013 p2498)	
2013	26	Magistrates (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2013	27.6.2013	Sch 1 (cl 2)—4.7.2013 (Gazette 4.7.2013 p2970)	
2013	47	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio No 2) Act 2013	24.10.2013	Pt 5 (ss 7 & 8)—17.5.2014 (Gazette 8.5.2014 p1630)	
2013	50	Evidence (Discreditable Conduct) Amendment Act 2013	24.10.2013	25.11.2013 (Gazette 21.11.2013 p4276)	
2013	58	Evidence (Identification Evidence) Amendment Act 2013	7.11.2013	7.7.2014 (Gazette 3.7.2014 p3127)	
2015	14	Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2015	9.7.2015	Sch 1 (cl 4)—1.12.2015 (Gazette 19.11.2015 p4975)	
2015	16	Statutes Amendment (Vulnerable Witnesses) Act 2015 as amended by 28/2016	6.8.2015	Pt 3 (ss 5—20) & Sch 1 (cl 1)—1.7.2016 (Gazette 23.6.2016 p2618)	
2015	39	Evidence (Records and Documents) Amendment Act 2015	26.11.2015	4.4.2016 (Gazette 4.2.2016 p366)	
2016	28	Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2016	16.6.2016	Pt 8 (s 21)—1.7.2016 immediately after s 5 of 16/2015: s 2(4)	
2016	35	Statutes Amendment (Gender Identity and Equity) Act 2016	4.8.2016	Pt 7 (s 32)—8.9.2016 (Gazette 8.9.2016 p3676)	
Provisions amended since 3 February 1976
	•	Legislative history prior to 3 February 1976 appears in marginal notes and footnotes included in the consolidation of this Act contained in Volume 3 of The Public General Acts of South Australia 1837-1975 at page 790.
New entries appear in bold.
Entries that relate to provisions that have been deleted appear in italics.
Provision	How varied	Commencement	
Pt 1			
s 2	amended by 40/1982 s 3	6.5.1982	
	omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	1.1.2003	
s 3	omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	7.7.2014	
s 4			
s 4(1)	s 4 redesignated as s 4(1) by 28/2016 s 21	1.7.2016	
bank	deleted by 40/1982 s 4	6.5.1982	
banker	deleted by 40/1982 s 4	6.5.1982	
banker's book	deleted by 40/1982 s 4	6.5.1982	
child	inserted by 32/1988 s 3(a)	1.5.1988	
cognitive impairment	inserted by 16/2015 s 5(1)	1.7.2016	
communication partner	inserted by 16/2015 s 5(1)	1.7.2016	
court	substituted by 56/1984 s 3(a)	1.7.1984	
domestic partner	inserted by 7/2008 s 10(1)	23.11.2008	
electric telegraph	amended by 9/1979 s 2	1.3.1979	
mental disability	inserted by 7/2008 s 10(2)	23.11.2008	
	deleted by 16/2015 s 5(2)	1.7.2016	
serious offence against the person	inserted by 7/2008 s 10(2)	23.11.2008	
sexual offence	inserted by 84/1976 s 2	9.12.1976	
	amended by 26/1992 s 7	6.7.1992	
	amended by 10/2008 Sch 1 cl 5	23.11.2008	
	amended by 16/2015 s 5(3)	1.7.2016	
spouse	inserted by 7/2008 s 10(3)	23.11.2008	
statement	inserted by 12/2012 s 40(1)	17.6.2012	
sworn evidence	inserted by 18/1999 s 3	27.6.1999	
telegraph station	amended by 9/1979 s 2	1.3.1979	
vulnerable witness	inserted by 7/2008 s 10(4)	23.11.2008	
	amended by 12/2012 s 40(2)	17.6.2012	
	amended by 16/2015 s 5(4)	1.7.2016	
young child	inserted by 32/1988 s 3(b)	1.5.1988	
	amended by 16/2015 s 5(5)	1.7.2016	
s 4(2) and (3)	inserted by 28/2016 s 21	1.7.2016	
Pt 2			
s 6	substituted by 56/1984 s 3(b)	1.7.1984	
s 6(3)	substituted by 18/1999 s 4	27.6.1999	
s 6(4)	substituted by 33/2002 s 8	3.3.2003	
s 7	substituted by 56/1984 s 3(b)	1.7.1984	
s 8	deleted by 56/1984 s 3(b)	1.7.1984	
s 9	amended by 32/1988 s 4	1.5.1988	
	substituted by 18/1999 s 5	27.6.1999	
s 9(4)	amended by 7/2008 s 11	23.11.2008	
s 9(6)	inserted by 16/2015 s 6	1.7.2016	
s 12	substituted by 32/1988 s 5	1.5.1988	
s 12(1)—(3)	deleted by 18/1999 s 6	27.6.1999	
s 12A	inserted by 37/1993 s 3	15.7.1993	
	substituted by 18/1999 s 7	27.6.1999	
	substituted by 7/2008 s 12	23.11.2008	
s 12AB	inserted by 16/2015 s 7	1.7.2016	
s 13 before substitution by 7/2008	deleted by 32/1988 s 5	1.5.1988	
	inserted by 53/1993 s 3	1.9.1993	
s 13(4)	amended by 18/1999 s 8	27.6.1999	
s 13	substituted by 7/2008 s 12	23.11.2008	
s 13(2)	amended by 16/2015 s 8	1.7.2016	
s 13A	inserted by 7/2008 s 12	4.10.2009	
s 13A(2)	amended by 16/2015 s 9(1)	1.7.2016	
	(f) deleted by 16/2015 s 9(1)	1.7.2016	
s 13A(5)	amended by 16/2015 s 9(2)	1.7.2016	
s 13A(5a) and (5b)	inserted by 16/2015 s 9(3)	1.7.2016	
s 13B	inserted by 7/2008 s 12	23.11.2008	
s 13B(1)	amended by 85/2009 Sch 1 cl 14(1)	9.12.2011	
s 13B(2)	deleted by 85/2009 Sch 1 cl 14(2)	9.12.2011	
s 13B(5)			
offence to which this section applies	amended by 85/2009 Sch 1 cl 14(3)	9.12.2011	
	amended by 14/2015 Sch 1 cl 4	1.12.2015	
s 13BA	inserted by 16/2015 s 10	1.7.2016	
s 13C	inserted by 7/2008 s 12	4.10.2009	
s 13C(1)	amended by 16/2015 s 11(1)	1.7.2016	
s 13C(2)	amended by 11/2013 s 14(1)	9.6.2013	
	amended by 16/2015 s 11(2)	1.7.2016	
s 13C(2a)	inserted by 11/2013 s 14(2)	9.6.2013	
s 13D	inserted by 7/2008 s 12	4.10.2009	
s 14	inserted by 107/1986 s 3	5.4.1987	
s 14(1a)	inserted by 18/1999 s 9	27.6.1999	
s 14A	inserted by 16/2015 s 12	1.7.2016	
s 18			
s 18(1)	s 18 amended by 47/1983 s 2(a)–(d)	16.6.1983	
	s 18 redesignated as s 18(1) by 47/1983 s 2(e)	16.6.1983	
	amended by 55/1983 s 3(a), (b)	1.8.1983	
	III and IV deleted by 55/1983 s 3(c)	1.8.1983	
	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 18(2) and (3)	inserted by 47/1983 s 2(e)	16.6.1983	
	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 18A	inserted by 47/1983 s 3	16.6.1983	
	substituted by 96/1985 s 3	1.12.1985	
	substituted by 18/1999 s 10	27.6.1999	
ss 19 and 20	deleted by 76/1992 s 5	1.1.1993	
s 21 before substitution by 16/2015	substituted by 55/1983 s 4	1.8.1983	
s 21(3a)	inserted by 37/1993 s 4	15.7.1993	
s 21(5)	substituted by 27/1995 s 13	10.7.1995	
s 21(7)			
close relative	amended by 43/2006 s 97(1)	1.6.2007	
domestic partner	inserted by 43/2006 s 97(2)	1.6.2007	
	deleted by 7/2008 s 13	23.11.2008	
spouse	substituted by 43/2006 s 97(2)	1.6.2007	
	deleted by 7/2008 s 13	23.11.2008	
s 21	substituted by 16/2015 s 13	1.7.2016	
s 23	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 25	substituted by 7/2008 s 14	23.11.2008	
s 25(1)	amended by 16/2015 s 14(1), (2)	1.7.2016	
s 25(2)	amended by 16/2015 s 14(3)	1.7.2016	
s 25(3)	amended by 16/2015 s 14(4)	1.7.2016	
s 25(4)	amended by 16/2015 s 14(5), (6)	1.7.2016	
s 26	amended by 59/1994 Sch 2	1.1.1995	
s 27	amended by 17/2006 s 113	4.9.2006	
s 29A	inserted by 48/2007 s 6	17.7.2008	
Pt 3			
Pt 3 Div 1			
heading	inserted by 7/2008 s 15	23.11.2008	
s 32	deleted by 9/1979 s 3	1.3.1979	
s 33	substituted by 50/2005 Sch 1 cl 5	1.1.2006	
s 33(1)	amended by 47/2013 s 7(1)—(3)	17.5.2014	
s 33(2)	amended by 47/2013 s 7(4)	17.5.2014	
s 34A	substituted by 33/2002 s 9	3.3.2003	
s 34AB	inserted by 58/2013 s 4	7.7.2014	
s 34B	deleted by 18/1999 s 11	27.6.1999	
s 34C			
s 34C(1)	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 34C(1a)	contents commencing "Provided that" amended and designated as s 34C(1a) by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 34CA	inserted by 32/1988 s 6	1.5.1988	
	substituted by 7/2008 s 16	23.11.2008	
	deleted by 16/2015 s 15	1.7.2016	
s 34CB	inserted by 7/2008 s 16	23.11.2008	
s 34H	deleted by 35/2016 s 32	8.9.2016	
s 34I before deletion by 7/2008	inserted by 84/1976 s 3	9.12.1976	
	amended by 47/1983 s 4	16.6.1983	
	substituted by 90/1984 s 3	1.1.1985	
s 34I(1)	amended by 17/2006 s 114(1)	4.9.2006	
s 34I(2)	amended by 17/2006 s 114(2)	4.9.2006	
s 34I(3)	amended by 17/2006 s 114(3)	4.9.2006	
s 34I(4)	amended by 17/2006 s 114(4)	4.9.2006	
s 34I(6a)	inserted by 18/1999 s 12	27.6.1999	
s 34I	deleted by 7/2008 s 17	23.11.2008	
s 34J	inserted by 41/1991 s 3	16.7.1992	
s 34J(2)	substituted by 18/1999 s 13	27.6.1999	
s 34K	inserted by 41/1991 s 3	16.7.1992	
s 34K(1)	amended by 17/2006 s 115(1)	4.9.2006	
s 34K(2)	amended by 17/2006 s 115(2)	4.9.2006	
ss 34KA—34KD	inserted by 12/2012 s 41	17.6.2012	
Pt 3 Div 2	inserted by 7/2008 s 18	23.11.2008	
s 34LA	inserted by 16/2015 s 16	1.7.2016	
s 34M			
s 34M(4)	amended by 16/2015 s 17	1.7.2016	
Pt 3 Div 3	inserted by 34/2011 s 4	1.6.2012	
s 34P			
s 34P(4)	amended by 50/2013 s 4	25.11.2013	
Pt 4			
heading	substituted by 39/2015 s 4	4.4.2016	
Pt 4 Div 1			
heading	inserted by 39/2015 s 5	4.4.2016	
s 35	substituted by 72/1990 s 2	20.12.1990	
s 35(2)			
legislative instrument	amended by 32/2002 Sch cl 2	1.1.2003	
s 37	amended by 9/1979 s 4	1.3.1979	
	substituted by 72/1990 s 3	20.12.1990	
s 37C	inserted by 9/1979 s 5	1.3.1979	
s 41	amended by 59/1994 Sch 2	1.1.1995	
	amended by 44/2006 s 21	18.1.2007	
Pt 4 Div 2			
heading	inserted by 39/2015 s 6	4.4.2016	
s 42			
s 42(1)	amended by 33/2002 s 10	3.3.2003	
Pt 4 Div 3			
heading	inserted by 39/2015 s 7	4.4.2016	
s 45A before deletion by 39/2015			
s 45A(2)	amended by 9/1979 s 6	1.3.1979	
s 45A	deleted by 39/2015 s 8	4.4.2016	
s 45B before deletion by 39/2015			
s 45B(3)	amended by 9/1979 s 7	1.3.1979	
s 45B	deleted by 39/2015 s 8	4.4.2016	
s 45C before deletion by 39/2015	inserted by 24/1984 s 2	10.5.1984	
	substituted by 72/1990 s 4	20.12.1990	
s 45C	deleted by 39/2015 s 8	4.4.2016	
Pt 4 Div 4	Pt 5 heading amended by 40/1982 s 5	6.5.1982	
	Pt 5 heading deleted and Pt 4 Div 4 heading inserted by 39/2015 s 9	4.4.2016	
s 46	substituted by 40/1982 s 6	6.5.1982	
	amended by 39/2015 s 10	4.4.2016	
bank	(b) and (c) deleted by 33/1999 Sch (item 21)	1.7.1999	
ss 47 and 48	substituted by 40/1982 s 6	6.5.1982	
ss 48A and 48B	deleted by 40/1982 s 6	6.5.1982	
s 49			
s 49(1)	amended by 40/1982 s 7(a)	6.5.1982	
s 49(1a)	inserted by 40/1982 s 7(b)	6.5.1982	
	amended by 37/1993 s 5	15.7.1993	
s 49(2)	amended by 40/1982 s 7(c)	6.5.1982	
s 49(3)—(9)	inserted by 40/1982 s 7(d)	6.5.1982	
s 50	amended by 40/1982 s 8	6.5.1982	
s 51			
s 51(1)	substituted by 40/1982 s 9	6.5.1982	
s 52	deleted by 40/1982 s 10	6.5.1982	
Pt 4 Divs 5—7	inserted by 39/2015 s 11	4.4.2016	
Pt 5—see Pt 4 Div 4			
Pt 6 before deletion by 39/2015			
s 55	amended by 18/1999 s 14	27.6.1999	
s 56			
s 56(1)	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 56(2)	amended by 49/1991 Sch 2	6.7.1992	
s 59	amended by 59/1994 Sch 2	1.1.1995	
Pt 6	deleted by 39/2015 s 12	4.4.2016	
Pt 6A before deletion by 39/2015			
s 59B			
s 59B(1)	amended by 9/1979 s 8	1.3.1979	
Pt 6A	deleted by 39/2015 s 12	4.4.2016	
Pt 6B	heading substituted by 45/1988 s 2	5.5.1988	
s 59D	substituted by 45/1988 s 3	5.5.1988	
s 59D(1)			
authorised South Australian court	amended by 37/1993 s 6(a)	15.7.1993	
	(d) deleted by 37/1993 s 6(a)	15.7.1993	
foreign court	amended by 37/1993 s 6(b)	15.7.1993	
s 59D(2)	substituted by 72/1990 s 5	20.12.1990	
s 59E	substituted by 45/1988 s 4	5.5.1988	
s 59E(4)	inserted by 37/1993 s 7	15.7.1993	
s 59F			
s 59F(1)	amended by 45/1988 s 5	5.5.1988	
s 59F(5)	amended by 45/1988 s 5	5.5.1988	
	amended by 72/1990 s 6(a)	20.12.1990	
s 59F(7)	inserted by 72/1990 s 6(b)	20.12.1990	
s 59H	amended by 45/1988 s 6	5.5.1988	
Pt 6C	inserted by 9/1998 s 3	27.6.1999	
Pt 6C Div 1			
s 59IA			
South Australian court	amended by 33/2003 Sch (cl 10)	1.7.2005	
Pt 6C Div 4	inserted by 33/2006 s 4	1.4.2007	
s 59IQ			
s 59IQ(8)			
immediate family	amended by 7/2008 s 19	23.11.2008	
Pt 7			
Pt 7 Div 1	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(a)	27.6.1999	
s 59J	inserted by 26/1992 s 8	6.7.1992	
Pt 7 Div 2	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(b)	27.6.1999	
s 60	amended by 17/2006 s 116	4.9.2006	
	amended by 26/2013 Sch 1 cl 2	4.7.2013	
s 61	deleted by 9/1979 s 9	1.3.1979	
Pt 7 Div 3	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(c)	27.6.1999	
s 65			
s 65(1)	s 65 amended by 9/1979 s 10	1.3.1979	
	s 65 amended and redesignated as s 65(1) by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 65(2)	s 65 amended and redesignated as s 65(2) by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 65A	inserted by 32/1988 s 7	1.5.1988	
Pt 7 Div 4	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(d)	27.6.1999	
s 66			
s 66(1)	amended by 57/2000 s 25	14.8.2000	
	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 66(3)	amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
s 67			
s 67(1)	amended by 18/1999 s 15	27.6.1999	
Pt 7 Div 5	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(e)	27.6.1999	
Pt 7 Div 6	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(f)	27.6.1999	
s 67AB	inserted by 9/1979 s 11	1.3.1979	
s 67AB(1)	amended by 18/1999 s 16(a)	27.6.1999	
s 67AB(2)	amended by 18/1999 s 16(b)	27.6.1999	
Pt 7 Div 7	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(g)	27.6.1999	
s 67B	inserted by 65/1978 s 2	28.9.1978	
Pt 7 Div 8	heading inserted by 17/1999 s 3(h)	27.6.1999	
s 67C	inserted by 37/1993 s 8	15.7.1993	
s 67C(2)	amended by 26/1996 s 2	2.5.1996	
Pt 7 Div 9	inserted by 17/1999 s 4	27.6.1999	
s 67F			
s 67F(1)	amended by 17/2006 s 117(1)	4.9.2006	
s 67F(2)	amended by 17/2006 s 117(2)	4.9.2006	
s 67F(5)	amended by 17/2006 s 117(3)	4.9.2006	
s 67F(7)	amended by 17/2006 s 117(4)	4.9.2006	
s 67F(8)	amended by 17/2006 s 117(5)	4.9.2006	
Pt 7 Div 10	inserted by 7/2008 s 20	23.11.2008	
s 67H			
s 67H(1)	substituted by 16/2015 s 18(1)	1.7.2016	
s 67H(3)	inserted by 16/2015 s 18(2)	1.7.2016	
s 67HA	inserted by 16/2015 s 19	1.7.2016	
Pt 8			
Pt 8 Div 1	heading inserted by 107/1984 s 2	20.12.1984	
s 68	substituted by 47/1983 s 5	16.6.1983	
court	substituted by 33/2003 Sch (cl 11)	1.7.2005	
court of summary jurisdiction	inserted by 107/1984 s 3(a)	20.12.1984	
	deleted by 33/2003 Sch (cl 11)	1.7.2005	
interim suppression order	inserted by 107/1984 s 3(b)	20.12.1984	
news media	inserted by 43/1989 s 3(a)	15.5.1989	
	substituted by 18/1999 s 17(a)	27.6.1999	
newspaper	inserted by 18/1999 s 17(a)	27.6.1999	
primary court	inserted by 107/1984 s 3(b)	20.12.1984	
publish	inserted by 18/1999 s 17(b)	27.6.1999	
suppression order	inserted by 107/1984 s 3(b)	20.12.1984	
	substituted by 43/1989 s 3(b)	15.5.1989	
Pt 8 Div 2	heading inserted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
s 69	substituted by 9/1979 s 12	1.3.1979	
	substituted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
s 69(1a)	inserted by 32/1988 s 8	1.5.1988	
	amended by 16/2015 s 20	1.7.2016	
s 69A	inserted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
	substituted by 43/1989 s 4	15.5.1989	
s 69A(1)	amended by 72/1990 s 7	20.12.1990	
	amended by 18/1999 s 18	27.6.1999	
s 69A(2)	substituted by 30/2006 s 4(1)	1.4.2007	
s 69A(5)	amended by 17/2006 s 118(1)	4.9.2006	
s 69A(8)	substituted by 30/2006 s 4(2)	1.4.2007	
s 69A(9)	amended by 17/2006 s 118(2)	4.9.2006	
	substituted by 30/2006 s 4(2)	1.4.2007	
s 69A(10)—(13)	substituted by 30/2006 s 4(2)	1.4.2007	
s 69A(14)	deleted by 30/2006 s 4(2)	1.4.2007	
ss 69AB and 69AC	inserted by 30/2006 s 5	1.4.2007	
s 69B	inserted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
s 69B(1)	amended by 43/1989 s 5(a)	15.5.1989	
s 69B(3)	amended by 43/1989 s 5(b), (c)	15.5.1989	
s 70	substituted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
s 70(1)	substituted by 30/2006 s 6	1.4.2007	
s 70(1a)	inserted by 30/2006 s 6	1.4.2007	
s 70(3)	deleted by 33/2003 Sch (cl 12)	1.7.2005	
s 71	amended by 9/1979 s 13 	1.3.1979	
	amended by 40/1982 s 11	6.5.1982	
	substituted by 107/1984 s 4	20.12.1984	
Pt 8 Div 3	heading inserted by 107/1984 s 5	20.12.1984	
s 71A	inserted by 84/1976 s 4	9.12.1976	
s 71A(1)	amended by 40/1982 s 12	6.5.1982	
	amended by 37/1993 s 9	15.7.1993	
	amended by 59/1997 s 6(a)	14.9.1997	
	amended by 18/1999 s 19(a)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 30/2006 s 7(1)	1.4.2007	
	amended by 44/2012 s 4(1), (2)	11.2.2013	
s 71A(2)	amended by 40/1982 s 12	6.5.1982	
	amended by 18/1999 s 19(b)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 30/2006 s 7(2)	1.4.2007	
	amended by 44/2012 s 4(3)	11.2.2013	
s 71A(3)	amended by 40/1982 s 12	6.5.1982	
	deleted by 107/1984 s 6(a)	20.12.1984	
s 71A(3)—(3e)	inserted by 44/2012 s 4(4)	11.2.2013	
s 71A(4)	amended by 40/1982 s 12	6.5.1982	
	amended by 32/1988 s 9	1.5.1988	
	amended by 18/1999 s 19(c)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 30/2006 s 7(3)	1.4.2007	
	amended by 44/2012 s 4(5)	11.2.2013	
s 71A(5)			
acquittal	deleted by 107/1984 s 6(b)	20.12.1984	
newspaper	deleted by 18/1999 s 19(d)	27.6.1999	
relevant date	substituted by 59/1997 s 6(b)	14.9.1997	
	amended by 47/2013 s 8(1), (2)	17.5.2014	
Pt 8 Div 4	heading inserted by 107/1984 s 7	20.12.1984	
s 71B	inserted by 107/1984 s 7	20.12.1984	
s 71B(1)	amended by 18/1999 s 20(a)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 7/2008 s 21(1)	23.11.2008	
s 71B(2)	amended by 30/2006 s 8(1)	1.4.2007	
	amended by 7/2008 s 21(2)	23.11.2008	
s 71B(3)	amended by 18/1999 s 20(b)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 30/2006 s 8(2)	1.4.2007	
s 71C	inserted by 37/1993 s 10	15.7.1993	
s 71C(1)	amended by 18/1999 s 21(a)	27.6.1999	
	amended by 30/2006 s 9	1.4.2007	
s 71C(2)	substituted by 18/1999 s 21(b)	27.6.1999	
Pt 8 Div 5	amended by 107/1984 s 8	20.12.1984	
	deleted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
Pt 9	inserted by 72/1990 s 8	20.12.1990	
Sch 1 before substitution by 58/2013			
heading	substituted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
Sch 1	substituted by 58/2013 s 5	7.7.2014	
Sch 3	deleted by 55/1983 s 5	1.8.1983	
Sch 4	heading substituted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)	24.11.2003	
Transitional etc provisions associated with Act or amendments
Evidence (Settlement Negotiations) Amendment Act 1996
3—Application of amendment
The amendment made by this Act applies to proceedings commenced before or after the commencement of this Act, but does not affect any order made before the commencement of this Act.
Statutes Amendment (Evidence and Procedure) Act 2008
22—Transitional provision
The amendments made by Part 4 of this Act to the Evidence Act 1929 apply to proceedings commenced after the commencement of that Part.
Evidence (Discreditable Conduct) Amendment Act 2011, Sch 1
1—Transitional provision
	(1)	The amendments made by Part 2 of this Act to the Evidence Act 1929 are intended to apply in respect of—
	(a)	proceedings for an offence commenced but not determined before the commencement of this clause; and
	(b)	proceedings for an offence commenced after the commencement of this clause.
	(2)	An order made by a court under the Evidence Act 1929 as in force immediately before the commencement of this clause will remain in force according to its terms.
Statutes Amendment (Serious and Organised Crime) Act 2012
42—Transitional provision
Sections 34KA, 34KB, 34KC and 34KD of the Evidence Act 1929 as inserted by section 41 of this Act only apply in relation to proceedings commenced after the commencement of section 41.
Statutes Amendment (Vulnerable Witnesses) Act 2015, Sch 1 as amended by Statutes Amendment (Attorney-General's Portfolio) Act 2016, s 27
1—Transitional provision
	(1)	The amendments made by Part 3 of this Act to the Evidence Act 1929 are intended to apply in respect of—
	(a)	proceedings for an offence commenced but not determined before the commencement of this clause; and
	(b)	proceedings for an offence commenced after the commencement of this clause.
	(2)	An audio visual record of the statement of a witness to whom this subclause applies made to an investigating or other authority before the commencement of section 10 of this Act as part of a formal interview process in relation to the investigation of an alleged offence may, after the commencement of that section, be admitted under section 13BA of the Evidence Act 1929 as evidence in the trial of a charge of the offence as if the recording had been made pursuant to Division 3 of Part 17 of the Summary Offences Act 1953 in accordance with the requirements of that Division.
Note—
Section 10 of this Act inserts section 13BA into the Evidence Act 1929.
	(3)	Subclause (2) applies—
	(a)	to a witness who is—
	(i)	a child of or under the age of 14 years; or
	(ii)	a person with a disability that adversely affects the person's capacity to give a coherent account of the person's experiences or to respond rationally to questions; and
	(b)	despite section 34LA(2)(c) of the Evidence Act 1929.
Historical versions
Reprint No 1—1.7.1991		
Reprint No 2—16.7.1992		
Reprint No 3—1.1.1993		
Reprint No 4—15.7.1993		
Reprint No 5—1.9.1993		
Reprint No 6—1.1.1995		
Reprint No 7—10.7.1995		
Reprint No 8—2.5.1996		
Reprint No 9—14.9.1997		
Reprint No 10—27.6.1999		
Reprint No 11—1.7.1999		
Reprint No 12—14.8.2000		
Reprint No 13—1.1.2003		
Reprint No 14—3.3.2003		
Reprint No 15—24.11.2003		
1.7.2005		
1.1.2006		
4.9.2006		
18.1.2007		
1.4.2007		
1.6.2007		
17.7.2008		
23.11.2008		
4.10.2009		
9.12.2011		
1.6.2012		
17.6.2012		
11.2.2013		
9.6.2013		
4.7.2013		
25.11.2013		
17.5.2014		
7.7.2014		
1.12.2015		
4.4.2016		
1.7.2016