844. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the recommendation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that Western Australia should establish an intermediary scheme for prosecution witnesses with communication difficulties in child sexual abuse prosecutions.
(1) Does the government support this recommendation?
(2) If yes to (1), has any work been undertaken to progress this recommendation?
(3) If yes to (2), what work has been undertaken?
(4) If no to either (1) or (2), why not?
Hon SAMANTHA ROWE replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. I provide the following response on behalf of the Leader of the House.
(1) The government supports the provision of quality intermediary practices, subject to these being workable given the skill and resource capacity, and notes that the judiciary must be closely involved in the development of such practices.
(2) Yes.
(3)–(4) In Western Australia, the legislation has provided for intermediaries since 1992. However, the provision has not been consistently used. The Chief Judge is chairing a committee of interested parties to make recommendations for the implementation of such a scheme in WA.