Which area requires special caution when questioning and has specific guidance?

• A. Be careful when questioning witnesses in financial crimes
• B. Be careful when questioning victims in sexual assault, indecent assault, or act of indecency cases
• C. Be careful when questioning the judge in court
• D. Be careful when interviewing suspects in any case

Answer: (B)

Special caution is required when questioning victims in sexual assault, indecent assault, or act of indecency cases because these victims are often vulnerable and may carry trauma from the events. There is explicit guidance in Queensland Bar ethics and related practice directions to handle such interviews with sensitivity, to minimize retraumatization, to protect privacy and safety, and to avoid coercive or suggestive questioning. This targeted, trauma-informed guidance stands out as the area with specific rules for how questioning should be conducted, making it the best fit. While caution is appropriate when questioning witnesses in financial crimes or interviewing suspects, those situations do not carry the same, explicitly trauma-focused guidance. Questioning the judge in court is not a typical scenario for counsel questioning at all, and the ethical rules center on fairness, not trauma-informed interviewing of a judge.