PARERE PRO VERITATE COMPATIBILITY ISSUES BETWEEN MAGNA CARTA (1215) Ch.54 AND THE YOUTH JUSTICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT 1999 S.53 AND 54 IN CERTAIN MURDER TRIALS The accepted and settled rule of law is that a witness is competent if he is able to give evidence and compellable if he may lawfully be required to give evidence. Competent witnesses are in the normal course but not necessarily compellable. However, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 S.53 enacted a general rule to the effect that all persons are competent to give evidence in criminal proceedings. This is, however, subject…
