CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ACT 2007 (NO 37 OF 2007) - SECT 147 Attendance of child

CARE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ACT 2007 (NO 37 OF 2007) - SECT 147

    (1)     The Court may:

    (a)     order a child to attend the proceedings (whether or not the proceedings relate to the child); or

    (b)     make any other order in relation to the attendance of the child in the proceedings.

    (2)     In addition, the Court may make orders in relation to the following:

    (a)     taking a written statement from the child;

    (b)     presenting to the Court the statement and a report prepared under section 149 for the child.

    (3)     The Court may:

    (a)     receive the statement and report as evidence; and

    (b)     give them the weight the Court considers appropriate.

    (4)     However, the Court must have regard to the following when acting under subsection (3):

    (a)     the age of the child;

    (b)     the intellectual capacity of the child;

    (c)     the capacity of the child to understand the duty to speak the truth;

    (d)     the extent to which the child may have been influenced by another person in making the statement or giving information for the report.

    (5)     The Court must take into account the wishes of the child when making an order under this section.

    (6)     Apart from this section, the child is not required to give evidence in any Court proceedings.