Summary of Evidence

A summary of evidence shall be taken in the following manner and shall be in accordance with the form set out in the First Schedule to these Rules– (a) it shall be taken in the presence of the accused by the commanding officer or by another officer on the direction of the commanding (b) the prosecution witnesses shall give their evidence orally and the accused shall be allowed to cross-examine any prosecution provided that, if a person cannot be compelled to attend as a prosecution witness or if owing to the exigencies of the service or on other grounds (including the expense and loss of time involved), the attendance of any prosecution witness cannot, in the opinion of the officer taking the summary (to be certified by him in writing), be readily procured, a written statement of his evidence, purporting to be signed by him, may be read to the accused and included in the summary of evidence; but, if such witness can be compelled to attend, the accused may insist that he shall attend for cross-examination; (c) after all the evidence against the accused has been given, the accused shall be asked“Do you wish to say anything? You are not obliged to do so, but if you wish, you may give evidence on oath, or you may make a statement without being sworn. Any evidence you give or statement you make will be taken down in writing and may be given in Any evidence given or statement made, by the accused shall be recorded in writing and, immediately thereafter, the record of 33 his evidence or statement shall be read over to him and corrected where necessary, and he shall be asked to sign it; (d) the accused may call witnesses in his defence, who shall give their evidence orally, provided that, if a person cannot be compelled to attend as a defence witness or if, owing to the exigencies of the service or on other grounds (including the expense and loss of time involved), the attendance of any defence witness cannot, in the opinion of the officer taking the summary (to be certified by him in writing), be readily procured, a written statement of his evidence, purporting to be signed by him, may be read to the accused and included in the summary of evidence– (e) neither the accused nor the witness for the defence shall be subject to cross-examination; (f) the evidence of each witness (other than the accused) who gives evidence orally shall be recorded in writing and, immediately thereafter, the record of his evidence shall be read over to him, corrected where necessary and signed by him; (g) the record of the evidence may be in narrative form, save that any question put to a witness in cross-examination by the accused, and the answer thereto, shall be recorded verbatim if the accused so requires; (h) the oath shall be administered in accordance with rule 27 by the officer taking the summary of evidence to each witness, before he gives his evidence, and to any interpreter, provided that, where any, child of tender years, called as a witness, does not, in the opinion of the officer taking the summary, understand the nature of an oath, his evidence may 34 be received, though not given upon oath, if, in the opinion of the officer taking the summary, he is possessed of sufficient intelligence to justify the reception of the evidence and understands the duty of speaking the truth; and (i) at the conclusion of the taking of the summary of evidence, the officer taking it shall certify thereon that he has complied with the provisions of this rule.