New laws to create witness intermediary scheme in the ACT

Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay will bring forward legislation to allow witness intermediaries in the territory, implementing a recommendation from the child sexual abuse royal commission.

Witness intermediaries are independent, impartial communication experts who help vulnerable witnesses provide clear evidence to police and courts.

The experts would also participate in "ground rules hearings", where they would provide recommendations on how questions are put to a witness during a trial.

Intermediaries would be made available to child complainants in sexual abuse cases, as well as child witnesses in homicide matters, when the scheme starts in early 2020.

The ACT government has budgeted $2.3 million across the next two financial years to establish and run the program, which will be overseen by the territory's victims of crime commissioner, Heidi Yates.

Ms Yates, who led calls for the scheme to be established in the ACT, said without an intermediary present at initial police interviews, children could become so upset and distressed that the process "simply fell over".

"The research tells us that the vast amount of sexual violence is never reported to police," Ms Yates said.

"It's a big decision for a family to think about taking their child to a police station to talk to someone who they have never met about intensely personal matters.

"Having made that call, it is important the young person feels as safe and comfortable as possible.

"It's about ensuring the environment is as friendly and less intimidating as possible ... and ensuring the young person is in the formal interview for as short a time as necessary for the evidence to be given."

Three intermediaries would be based out of Ms Yates' office, with experts from a wider pool to be called upon as cases emerge.

Ms Yates said intermediaries were typically allied-health professionals, such as speech pathologists, psychologists and social workers.

Mr Ramsay said similar schemes interstate had shown the use of witness intermediaries reduced the trauma associated with giving evidence, while also making trials fairer for all parties.

"Giving evidence can be a particularly daunting experience for children, and this scheme will support young witnesses to better articulate their evidence in court proceedings, as well as their responses under cross-examination," Mr Ramsay said.

"The ACT has a proud history of being at the forefront of adjusting criminal processes to ensure the voices of victims can be heard in our justice system."