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2004 No. 1048 (L.5)

MAGISTRATES' COURTS

The Magistrates' Courts (Crime (International Co-operation)) Rules 2004

  Made 5th April 2004 
  Laid before Parliament 5th April 2004 
  Coming into force 26th April 2004 

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 144 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980[1] and section 49 of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003[2], after consultation with the Rule Committee appointed under the said section 144, hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation, commencement and extent
     1.  - (1) These Rules may be cited as the Magistrates' Courts (Crime (International Co-operation)) Rules 2004 and shall come into force on 26th April 2004.

    (2) These Rules extend to England and Wales only.

Interpretation
    
2. In these Rules  - 

Notice required to be given by section 3(4)(b) and translations
    
3.  - (1) The notice which by virtue of section 3(4)(b) of the Act (general requirements for service of process) must accompany any process served outside the United Kingdom must give the information specified in paragraphs (2) and (4) below.

    (2) The notice must  - 

    (3) The relevant authority where the process is served  - 

    (4) The particulars referred to in paragraph (2) are  - 

    (5) The justices' clerk must send, together with any process served outside the United Kingdom  - 

Proof of service outside the United Kingdom pursuant to section 4(1)
    
4. A statement in a certificate given by or on behalf of the Secretary of State  - 

shall be admissible as evidence of any facts so stated.

Supply of copy of notice of request for assistance under section 7(1)
    
5. Where a request for assistance under section 7 of the Act is made by a justice of the peace and is sent in accordance with section 8(1) of the Act, the justices' clerk for that justice shall send a copy of the letter of request to the Secretary of State as soon as practicable after the request has been made.

Persons entitled to appear and take part in proceedings under Schedule 1 and exclusion of public
    
6. Where the court nominated under section 15(1) of the Act (nominating a court to receive evidence) is a magistrates' court, the court may  - 

Record of proceedings before a nominated court under Schedule 1
    
7.  - (1) This rule applies where the court nominated under section 15(1) of the Act is a magistrates' court.

    (2) The justices' clerk shall enter in the overseas record  - 

    (3) When the court gives the evidence received by it under paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act to the court or authority that made the request or to the territorial authority for forwarding to the court or authority that made the request, the justices' clerk shall send to the court, authority or territorial authority (as the case may be) a copy of an extract of so much of the overseas record as relates to the proceedings in respect of that request.

Interpreter for the purposes of Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 2
     8.  - (1) This rule applies where the court nominated under section 30(3) (hearing witnesses in the UK through television links) or section 31(4) (hearing witnesses in the UK by telephone) of the Act is a magistrates' court.

    (2) Where it appears to the justices' clerk that the witness to be heard in the proceedings under Part 1 or 2 of Schedule 2 to the Act ("the relevant proceedings") is likely to give evidence in a language other than English, he shall make arrangements for an interpreter to be present at the proceedings to translate what is said into English.

    (3) Where it appears to the justices' clerk that the witness to be heard in the relevant proceedings is likely to give evidence in a language other than that in which the proceedings of the court referred to in section 30(1) or, as the case may be, 31(1) of the Act ("the external court") will be conducted, he shall make arrangements for an interpreter to be present at the relevant proceedings to translate what is said into the language in which the proceedings of the external court will be conducted.

    (4) Where the evidence in the relevant proceedings is either given in a language other than English or is not translated into English by an interpreter, the magistrates' court shall adjourn the proceedings until such time as an interpreter can be present to provide a translation into English.

    (5) Where a magistrates' court in Wales understands Welsh  - 

Record of the hearing before a nominated court under Part 1 of Schedule 2
    
9.  - (1) This rule applies where the court nominated under section 30(3) of the Act is a magistrates' court.

    (2) The justices' clerk shall enter in the overseas records  - 

    (3) As soon as practicable after the proceedings under Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Act took place, the justices' clerk shall send to the external authority that made the request a copy of an extract of so much of the overseas record as relates to the proceedings in respect of that request.

Record of the hearing before a nominated court under Part 2 of Schedule 2
    
10.  - (1) This rule applies where the court nominated under section 31(4) of the Act is a magistrates' court.

    (2) The justices' clerk shall enter in the overseas records  - 

Overseas record
    
11.  - (1) That part of the register (within the meaning of section 150(1) of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980) which constitutes the overseas record shall be kept in a separate book.

    (2) The overseas record shall not be open to inspection by any person except  - 


Falconer of Thoroton, C.

Dated 5th April 2004



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)


These Rules provide for the practice and procedure to be followed in magistrates' courts in England and Wales in connection with proceedings under Part 1 of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 ("the 2003 Act").

Section 3(4) of the 2003 Act requires that process served outside the United Kingdom requiring a person to appear as a party or attend as a witness must be accompanied by a notice giving certain information. Rule 3 specifies what that information is to be.

Rule 4 provides for the proof of service where this is done, in pursuance of section 4 of the 2003 Act, in accordance with arrangements made by the Secretary of State.

Rule 5 requires a copy of a request which is sent directly abroad to be sent to the Secretary of State.

Section 15(1) of the 2003 Act enables the Secretary of State to nominate a court to receive evidence in respect of a request for assistance from overseas falling within section 13 of that Act. The proceedings before a nominated court take place under Schedule 1 to that Act and rules 6 and 7 provide for procedural matters in connection with those proceedings and the contents of the overseas record (as defined by rule 2) in respect of them.

Sections 30 and 31 of the 2003 Act concern the giving of evidence before a nominated court in the United Kingdom to a court abroad by a television link or by telephone, respectively. Rule 8 provides for the use of interpreters for these hearings and rules 9 and 10 provide for the contents of the overseas record in respect of them.

Rule 11 restricts access to the overseas record.


Notes:

[1] 1980 c. 43; the power in section 144 is extended by section 145 of that Act.back

[2] 2003 c. 32; section 49 is supplemented by section 3(4)(b) of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 1, and paragraphs 8, 10 and 17 of Schedule 2 to, the 2003 Act.back

[3] 1978 c. 19.back



ISBN 0 11 049062 2


  © Crown copyright 2004

Prepared 8 April 2004


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URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2004/20041048.html