Commentary on Sections Part 4 - Evidence Section 85 – Witness statements: use during trial
412.Section 85 creates a power for the court to allow a witness to refer to his statement during the giving of evidence subject to the witness statement having been made available to the Crown and to the defence in advance of the trial. Subsection (3) extends the applicability of section 262 (construction of sections on hearsay) of the 1995 Act to witness statements. Within that, subsection (3)(c) disapplies the meanings of “criminal proceedings” and “made” to witness statements.