Criminal Code Amendment (Right of Reply) Act 1999 (TAS)

Criminal Code Amendment (Right of Reply) Act 1999

An Act to amend the Criminal Code

[Royal Assent 7 April 1999]

Be it enacted by His Excellency the Governor of Tasmania, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly, in Parliament assembled, as follows:

1Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Criminal Code Amendment (Right of Reply) Act 1999 . 2CommencementThis Act commences on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent. 3Principal ActIn this Act, the Criminal Code Act 1924 is referred to as the Principal Act. 4Section 371 amended (Speeches by counsel and summing up) Section 371 of the Principal Act is amended as follows: (a) by inserting the following paragraph after paragraph (a) : (ab) immediately following an address by counsel for the Crown under paragraph (a) and before any evidence is given, the accused person or the counsel for the accused person, by way of reply, may address the jury for the purposes only of identifying – (i) any matters of fact that are not in dispute or that the accused is prepared to admit; and (ii) any issues that the accused contends are important to the defence case; (b) by omitting paragraph (h) .

[Second reading presentation speech made in:

House of Assembly on 9 DECEMBER 1998

Legislative Council on 16 MARCH 1999]