---
title: "Criminal Evidence Act 1979"
id: c80e52ea-7173-400a-94c9-41786fa8c3d8
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/16
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/c80e52ea-7173-400a-94c9-41786fa8c3d8
language: en
in_force_from: 2006-04-03
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/16/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-08
sha256: 145367c5a51ef4a0ebb0a375dd79be172e42e12cb0940238723518e5984ed50d
provisions: 3
---

# Criminal Evidence Act 1979

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Criminal Evidence Act 1979
1979 c.16
An Act to amend paragraph (f)(iii) of the proviso to section 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 and corresponding enactments extending to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
[22nd March 1979]

## 1 Amendment of section 1 of Criminal Evidence Act 1898, etc., and transitional provision. {#section-1}

(1) In paragraph (f)(iii) of the proviso to each of the following enactments, that is to say, section 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898, . . . and section 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act (Northern Ireland) 1923 (under which an accused person who has given evidence against another person charged with the same offence may be cross-examined about his previous convictions and his bad character), for the words “with the same offence” there shall be substituted the words “in the same proceedings”.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) above, a person charged with any offence who, before the coming into force of this Act, has given evidence against any other person charged in the same proceedings shall not by reason of that fact be asked or required to answer any question which he could not have been asked and required to answer but for that subsection.

## 2 Short title and commencement. {#section-2}

(1) This Act may be cited as the Criminal Evidence Act 1979.
(2) This Act shall come into force at the end of the period of one month beginning with the date on which it is passed.