Abbas v Crown Prosecution Service

Criminal evidence – Cross-examination. The appellant appealed, by way of case stated, against his conviction for assault. The Divisional Court, in dismissing the appeal, gave guidance on the role of a solicitor appointed to cross-examine a witness, under s 38(3) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. It further held that the justices had correctly refused the solicitor's application to adduce bad character evidence concerning the victim and intervened in the cross-examination designed to elicit evidence relating to his failed bad character application.