Measures to combat witness ‘amnesia’ will aid prosecutions

NEW laws to combat witness “amnesia” will help the State pursue prosecutions, a barrister suggests in a legal review.

The provision, introduced last year, allows witness statements to be admitted in court where a witness claims subsequently that they can’t remember what happened or refuses to give evidence.

The law was introduced by Justice Minister Michael McDowell after a number of high-profile cases collapsed due to “memory loss” among witnesses.