Section 127: Binding over of witnesses.

(1) Where any person charged before a Magistrate's court with an offence triable upon indictment before theSupreme Court is committed for trial, and it appears to such Magistrate's Court after taking into account anything which may be said with reference thereto by the accused or the prosecutor, that the attendance at the trial of any witness who has been examined before it is unnecessary by reason of anything contained in any statement by the accused person, or of the evidence of the witness being merely of a formal nature, the Magistrate's Court shall, if the witness has not already been bound over, bind him over to attend the trial conditionally upon notice given to him and not otherwise, or shall, if the witness has already been bound over, direct that he shall be treated as having been bound over to attend only conditionally as aforesaid, and shall transmit to the Supreme Court a statement in writing of the names, addresses and occupations of the witnesses who are or who are to be treated as having been, bound over to attend the trial conditionally. (2) Where a witness has been, or is to be treated as having been bound over conditionally to attend the trial, the Attorney-General or the person committed for trial may give notice, at any time before the opening of the sessions of the Supreme Court at which the accused person has been committed to be tried, to the committing Magistrate's Court and at any time thereafter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court that he desires the witness to attend at the trial, and any such Court or Registrar to whom any such notice is given shall forthwith notify the witness that he is required so to attend in pursuance of his recognizance. The Magistrate's Court shall, on committing the accused person for trial, inform him of his right to require the attendance at the trial of any such witness as aforesaid, and of the steps which he must take for the purpose of enforcing such attendance. (3) Any document or articles produced in evidence before the Magistrate's Court by any witness whose attendance at the trial is stated to be unnecessary in accordance with provisions of this section and marked as exhibits shall unless in any particular case the Magistrate's Court otherwise orders, be retained by the Magistrate's Court and forwarded with the depositions to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Re-opening of investigations.