New witness interview scheme to be piloted in Merseyside

By DavidHiggerson on Nov 28, 07 12:08 AM

Prosecution lawyers will be allowed to interview their witnesses before the start of trials under a new scheme announced today.

The system will give barristers the opportunity to assess the reliability and character of their witnesses before they give evidence in court.

A pilot project which has been running in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria will be extended throughout England and Wales on the seventh anniversary of the death of south London schoolboy Damilola Taylor.

Proposals for the scheme originally came up in 2002, when four youths were cleared of the 10-year-old’s murder after the credibility of a key prosecution witness was called into question.

Interviews will be recorded to ensure prosecutors do not coach witnesses under Attorney General Lady Scotland’s scheme.