Witnesses who face the “second ordeal” of giving evidence in court could be protected by new guidelines that will be considered by MPs. There are several measures already available to protect vulnerable witnesses such as giving evidence from a room via a videolink or from behind a curtain. It can still be a gruelling experience, with prosecutors resorting to aggressive questioning. There is often a tension between the need to ensure that defendants are convicted only where the evidence is sufficient, and ensuring that witnesses do not suffer further at the hands of advocates.
In other cases involving vulnerable witnesses,