Date: 16 April 2025
Jurisdiction: Australian Capital Territory

Abstract:

On 11 April 2025, the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory published new Practice Direction 1 of 2025 – Pronunciation and Forms of Address (Practice Direction), which takes effect from 1 May 2025.

The stated purpose of the Practice Direction is to ensure that witnesses and other persons involved in proceedings are treated with appropriate respect. The Practice Direction provides that practitioners are required to assist the court in achieving this goal.

By way of summary, the Practice Direction requires practitioners to:

• be able to accurately spell and pronounce the name of a witness, clarify whether the first name of a witness is their family name, specify the appropriate form of address (eg Mr/Ms/Mrs/Mx) for a witness, and identify the use of any gender pronouns for a witness, other than he/she;
• be aware of whether any witness that they intend to call will take an oath or affirmation and be in a position to inform…