
1 
Every person charged with an offence, and the wife or husband, as the case may be, of the person so charged, shall be a competent witness for the defence at every stage of the proceedings, whether the person so charged is charged solely or jointly with any other person. Provided as follows:—
(1) A person charged in criminal proceedings shall not be called as a witness in the proceedings except upon his own application:
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(c) The wife or husband of the person charged shall not, save as in this Act mentioned, be called as a witness in pursuance of this Act except upon the application of the person so charged:
(d) Nothing in this Act shall make a husband compellable to disclose any communication made to him by his wife during the marriage, or a wife compellable to disclose any communication made to her by her husband during the marriage:
(2) Subject to section 101 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (admissibility of evidence of defendant’s bad character), a person charged in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings may be asked any question in cross-examination notwithstanding that it would tend to criminate him as to any offence with which he is charged in the proceedings:
(3) A person charged in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings shall not be asked, and if asked shall not be required to answer, any question tending to show that he has committed or been convicted of or been charged with any offence other than one with which he is then charged, or is of bad character, unless—
(i) the proof that he has committed or been convicted of such other offence is admissible evidence to show that he is guilty of an offence with which he is then charged; or
(ii) he has personally or by his advocate asked questions of the witnesses for the prosecution with a view to establish his own good character, or has given evidence of his good character, or the nature or conduct of the defence is such as to involve imputations on the character of the prosecutor or the witnesses for the prosecution; or the deceased victim of the alleged crime; or
(iii) he has given evidence against any other person charged in the same proceedings:
(4) Every person charged in criminal proceedings who is called as a witness in the proceedings shall, unless otherwise ordered by the court, give his evidence from the witness box or other place from which the other witnesses give their evidence:
(h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
2 
Where the only witness to the facts of the case called by the defence is the person charged, he shall be called as a witness immediately after the close of the evidence for the prosecution.
3 
In cases where the right of reply depends upon the question whether evidence has been called for the defence, the fact that the person charged has been called as a witness shall not of itself confer on the prosecution the right of reply.
4 

(1) The wife or husband of a person charged with an offence under any enactment mentioned in the schedule to this Act may be called as a witness either for the prosecution or defence and without the consent of the person charged.
(2) Nothing in this Act shall affect a case where the wife or husband of a person charged with an offence may at common law be called as a witness without the consent of that person.
5 

6 

(1) This Act shall apply to all criminal proceedings. . . 
(1A) This Act applies in relation to service proceedings as it applies in relation to criminal proceedings before a court in England and Wales.
(1B) In this section  “service proceedings” means proceedings before a court (other than a civilian court) in respect of a service offence; and  “service offence” and  “civilian court” here have the same meanings as in the Armed Forces Act 2006.
(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
7 

(1) This Act shall not extend to Ireland.
(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
(3) This Act may be cited as the Criminal Evidence Act 1898.
SCHEDULE

Session and Chapter. Short Title. Enactments referred to.
 . . .  . . .  . . . 
 . . .  . . .  . . . 
 . . .  . . .  . . . 
48 & 49 Vict. c. 69. The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885. The whole Act.
 . . .  . . .  . . . 
19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 34. Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929. The whole Act.
11 & 12 Geo. 6 c. 29 National Assistance Act 1948 Section 51.