Part 5: Protection for victims and witnesses in court Section 66: Prohibition of cross-examination in person in civil proceedings
This section inserts new Part 7A (comprising sections 85E to 85N) into the Courts Act 2003 to make provision about the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses in civil proceedings in England and Wales, including provision to automatically prohibit perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims in person in the civil courts, and vice versa, in certain circumstances in England and Wales, and gives such courts discretion to prevent cross-examination in person in other circumstances where it would affect the quality of the witness’s evidence or cause significant distress. It makes provision to enable regulations to give civil courts the power to appoint a publicly funded qualified legal representative to conduct cross-examination in the interests of the party prohibited from cross-examining in person.