CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 237 Descriptions

CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 237

    (1)     If a description of a suspect is given to a police officer in relation to an offence, the police officer shall ensure that a record of the description is made and that the record is retained until any proceedings in respect of the offence are completed.

    (2)     Subject to subsection (4), a police officer shall, if requested to do so by a person who has been charged with an offence, provide the person with the name of every person who, to the knowledge of the police officer, claims to have seen, at or about the time of the commission of the offence, a person who is suspected of being involved in its commission.

    (3)     If—

        (a)     a record of a description of a person is made under subsection (1); and

        (b)     the person is charged with an offence to which the description relates;

a police officer must notify the person or his or her legal representative in writing that a copy of the record, and of any other record of a description that the police officer knows about of a person who is suspected of being involved in the commission of the offence, is available for the person.

    (4)     If the police officer suspects on reasonable grounds that providing the name of a person under subsection (2) could—

        (a)     place the person in danger; or

        (b)     expose the person to harassment or unreasonable interference;

the police officer is not required to provide the name of the person.