Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Law, 2020 (Law 25 of 2020)

YOUTH JUSTICE (AMENDMENT) BILL, A BILL FOR A LAW TO AMEND THE YOUTH JUSTICE LAW (2019 REVISION) BY REPEALING SECTION 17(4) OF THAT LAW IN ORDER TO BRING THE LAW IN LINE WITH SECTION 41(1) OF THE EVIDENCE LAW (2019 REVISION); AND FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES

PUBLISHING DETAILS Sponsoring Ministry/Portfolio: Portfolio of Legal Affairs (PLA)

Objects and Reasons

Memorandum of OBJECTS AND REASONS This Bill seeks to amend the Youth Justice Law (2019 Revision) by repealing section 17(4) of the Law in order to bring the Law in line with section 41(1) of the Evidence Law (2019 Revision) which provides for sworn testimony from child victims to be allowed into evidence where there is no corroborating evidence. This will permit child victims to be treated as credible witnesses based on their own testimony, despite the lack of corroborating evidence. Clause 1 provides the short title of the legislation. Clause 2 amends section 17 of the Youth Justice Law (2019 Revision) by repealing subsection (4) in order to bring the Law in line with section 41(1) of the Evidence Law (2019 Revision) which removes the requirement for testimony from child victims to be accompanied by corroborating evidence in order to be allowed into evidence.

Clause 1

A BILL FOR A LAW TO AMEND THE YOUTH JUSTICE LAW (2019 REVISION) BY REPEALING SECTION 17(4) OF THAT LAW IN ORDER TO BRING THE LAW IN LINE WITH SECTION 41(1) OF THE EVIDENCE LAW (2019 REVISION); AND FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES ENACTED by the Legislature of the Cayman Islands. Short title This Law may be cited as the Youth Justice (Amendment) Law, 2020. Amendment of section 17 of the Youth Justice Law (2019 Revision) – evidence of young persons The Youth Justice Law (2019 Revision) is amended in section 17 by repealing subsection (4).

Passed by the Legislative Assembly the day of

Speaker

Clerk of the Legislative Assembly