Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977)Chapter 22 : Conduct of Proceedings166. Cross-examination and re-examination of witnesses |
| (1) | An accused may cross-examine any witness called on behalf of the prosecution at criminal proceedings or any co-accused who testifies at criminal proceedings or any witness called on behalf of such co-accused at criminal proceedings, and the prosecutor may cross-examine any witness, including an accused, called on behalf of the defence at criminal proceedings, and a witness called at such proceedings on behalf of the prosecution may be re-examined by the prosecutor on any matter raised during the cross-examination of that witness, and a witness called on behalf of the defence at such proceedings may likewise be re-examined by the accused. |
| (2) | The prosecutor and the accused may, with leave of the court, examine or cross-examine any witness called by the court at criminal proceedings. |
| (3) |
| (a) | If it appears to a court that any cross-examination contemplated in this section is being protracted unreasonably and thereby causing the proceedings to be delayed unreasonably, the court may request the cross-examiner to disclose the relevancy of any particular line of examination and may impose reasonable limits on the examination regarding the length thereof or regarding any particular line of examination. |
| (b) | The court may order that any submission regarding the relevancy of the cross-examination be heard in the absence of the witness. |
[Section 166(3) inserted by section 8 of Act No. 86 of 1996]