Clause 29 - Notification of intention to
Criminal Justice Bill
4:30 pm
Ms Vera Baird (Redcar, Labour)
I want to be sure that I am following the interesting point that the hon. Gentleman is
making. Does he mean that new section 6C(1)(b) of the 1996 Act would not simply require the provision of information to the prosecution in substitution for a name of address that was not available? Might it include saying, ''I am going to call the man who was passing in the blue car, if I can find him''? That would present a real danger that the defence would go to the trouble of finding the man in the blue car, and would have to disclose that fact to the Crown, only for him to turn out to be a hostile witness or a sworn enemy. Perhaps, however, the Minister can clarify that the intention is only that the defence should have a duty to give as much information as possible to the police to help them to locate him.