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Witnesses to be questioned pre-trial to assess reliability

Attorney General Lady Scotland is set to announce that prosecuting lawyers and barristers will be permitted to interview their witnesses before the trial begins to assess the reliability of their evidence.



The pilot scheme was first proposed in 2002 when four youths were cleared of murdering 10-year old Damilola Taylor from south London.



In this highly publicised case, the judge ruled that the evidence of the main prosecution witness, a 12-year-old girl, could not be relied upon.



The scheme has already been running in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria and will now be extended to the rest of England and Wales on the seventh anniversary of the death of Damilola.



Under the initiative, the prosecution will be able to assess the character and reliability of their witnesses before the case comes to court.



The interviews will be recorded and make available to the defence to ensure prosecuting lawyers do not coach witnesses or help improve their performance in court.



At present, the defence are already able to question their clients and witnesses but there has been a ban on prosecutors doing the same prior to trial since the 19th century.

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