Court officials must, during court proceedings, when interacting with a complainant or a witness—
| (a) |
use simple vocabulary and avoid technical terms; |
| (b) |
inform or explain to a complainant or a witness any concept or question in a manner appropriate to his or her form of vulnerability, age, maturity and stage of development if the complainant or the witness is a child, or a person's intellectual disability; |
| (c) |
give enough detail so that a complainant or a witness understands the information conveyed to him or her; |
| (d) |
allow sufficient time so that a complainant or a witness can absorb the information conveyed to him or her; |
| (e) |
elicit responses from a complainant or a witness by asking questions in order to ensure that he or she understands the information conveyed to him or her; |
| (f) |
ensure that the atmosphere is conducive to participation by a complainant or a witness; and |
| (g) |
be sensitive to the needs of a complainant or a witness and the fact that he or she may be confused and may be experiencing anxiety and may feel intimidated. |
Mandating Procedures of Provinces Act, 2008
