Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1991

At a ground rules hearing for a witness in a criminal proceeding, the court may make any direction the court considers is in the interests of justice, including any of the following:

a direction about how a witness may be questioned;

a direction about how long a witness may be questioned;

a direction about the questions that may or may not be asked of a witness;

if there is more than 1 accused—a direction about the allocation among the accused of the topics about which a witness may be asked;

a direction about the use of models, plans, body maps or other aids to help communicate a question or an answer;

a direction about the use of a support animal by the witness;

a direction that if a party intends to give evidence that contradicts or challenges the evidence of a witness or that otherwise discredits a witness, the party is not obliged to put that evidence in its entirety to the witness in cross-examination.

If an intermediary’s report has been given to the court under section 4AE, the court must consider the matters mentioned in the report in making the direction.