"A Full and Candid Account" Using Special Accommodations and Testimonial Aids to Facilitate the Testimony of Children Designated Support Person Alison Cunningham & Pamela Hurley (2007)

This resource is the fifth in a series of seven handbooks called "A Full and Candid Account". A support person is someone permitted by the judge or justice, upon application, to sit or stand close to a child witness while he or she testifies. This testimonial aid can be used in any courtroom environment, from the largest city to the most remote village. Children appreciate the assistance of a support person and it can be used in conjunction with other aids such as the witness screen or closed-circuit testimony. Also find in this handbook a tip sheet for the first-time support person, guidance on explaining the role to teenagers, and a discussion of working with child witnesses who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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Designated Support Person (546 KB)

Table of Contents

• Ainsley, age 11
• Designated Support Person: Introduction
• Why Use a Support Person?
• Diagrams of Four Configurations
• Criminal Code Section 486.1
• Bill C-2: What's the Same? What's Changed?
• Basic Facts About The Role of a Support Person
• FAQs About Support Persons
• What Children Say About Having a Support Person
• Good Practice Guidance for Child Witness Support
• Situations that May Arise
• Ten Tips for the First-time Support Person
• Tips for Teens About Using a Support Person
• Working with Child Witnesses who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Further Reading
• About the Handbook Series

En français

Disponible également en français sous le titre « Un récit complet et franc » / Recours à des arrangements spéciaux et aux aides au témoignage pour faciliter le témoignage des enfants.

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