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Taking of evidence in Northern Ireland for criminal trial in State.
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11.—(1) For the purposes of the trial by a special court established under Article 38. 3. 1° of the Constitution of an offence under section 2 or 3 or of any appeal in relation to the trial, the court of trial shall, at the request of the prosecution or the accused unless it is satisfied that it is not in the interests of justice to do so, and may of its own motion, and any appellate court may at such a request or of its own motion, by order provide for the issue of a letter of request to the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland for the taking, in the presence of the members of the court making the order, of evidence in Northern Ireland by a judge of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland from a witness specified in the order.
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(2) Where a court makes an order under this section, it shall inform the accused that—
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(a) he has a right to be present in the custody of the police of Northern Ireland at the taking of the evidence referred to in the order and if he exercises the right he will be delivered in custody into the custody of the police of Northern Ireland,
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(b) whether or not he is present at the taking of the evidence, he has a right to be represented by the counsel and solicitor (or the solicitor only) representing him in the court or by another counsel and solicitor (or by a solicitor only) entitled to practise in the State or entitled to practise in Northern Ireland,
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(c) he may, if not represented by counsel or a solicitor, himself question the witness giving the evidence,
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(d) while he is in custody in Northern Ireland for the purpose of the taking of the evidence, he will be immune from detention, and any kind of suit or legal process, in respect of any cause or matter, civil or criminal, arising before his arrival in Northern Ireland for the purpose aforesaid,
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and, if the accused indicates to the court that he wishes to be present at the taking of the evidence, the court shall make an order directing that the accused be delivered when and so often as may be necessary into the custody of the police of Northern Ireland.
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(3) (a) A statement of evidence of a witness taken in compliance with a letter of request under this section, and certified by the judge of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland who took it to be a true and accurate statement of the evidence so taken, shall, if all the members of the court were present throughout the taking of the evidence, be admissible at the trial or appeal concerned as evidence of any fact stated therein of which evidence would be admissible at the trial or appeal.
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(b) A document purporting to be a certificate of a judge of the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland and to be signed by him shall be deemed, for the purposes of this section, to be such a certificate and to be so signed unless the contrary is shown.
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(4) A person in whose case an order is made under subsection (2)—
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(a) shall be brought when and so often as may be necessary by the Garda Síochána to some convenient point of departure from the State and there delivered into the custody of the police of Northern Ireland and, if he is on bail, shall be taken into the custody of the Garda Síochána not more than 24 hours before the time of any such delivery and kept in such custody until that delivery is effected, and
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(b) shall, on his return to the State upon the conclusion or any adjournment of the taking of the evidence to which the order relates, be taken into the custody of the Garda Síochána, and—
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(i) if he is required pursuant to an order of any court to be kept in custody, be returned as soon as may be to that custody, and
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(ii) if he is on bail, be thereupon released.
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(5) An order under subsection (2) shall not operate to interrupt the currency of any sentence imposed in any other proceedings.
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