KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The Evidence of Child Witness (Amendment) Bill 2024 which aims to provide for the competency of child witnesses to give evidence in any proceedings, was tabled for the first reading in Dewan Rakyat today.
The Bill to amend the Evidence of Child Witness Act 2007 (Act 676) was tabled by the Minister of Law and Institutional Reform in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
According to the Parliament’s website, the Bill seeks, among others, to insert Section 2A (1) that all child witnesses shall be presumed to be competent to give evidence in any proceedings; and 2B (1) that a child witness shall give evidence upon oath in a proceedings if he has attained the age of 12 years and has a sufficient appreciation of the solemnity of the occasion and understands the duty of speaking the truth.
Also, Section 2C pertaining to inquiry on the competency of a child witness and the ability of the child witness to understand the nature of the oath when giving evidence in any proceedings.
Section 2C(3) stated that the Court shall conduct the inquiry in the presence of the parties to the proceedings and may, where necessary, require evidence from any other witnesses to be given during the inquiry in order for the Court to arrive at its decision as to the competency of the child witness to give evidence or the ability of the child witness to understand the nature of the oath when giving evidence.
Consequential to the amendment made to the principal Act 676, Azalina also tabled the Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Oaths and Affirmations (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Security Offences (Special Measures) (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill 2024 for the first reading.
All five Bills will be tabled for the second reading during this current sitting. — Bernama
