Whenever at a committal hearing²⁰¹⁸, at a committal hearing under Division 2 of Part ²⁰¹⁸X^2018·202110²⁰²¹ as in force immediately before ²⁰¹⁸the^2018·202117²⁰²¹ date of commencement of section 47 of the Criminal Justice Reform Act^2018·2021September²⁰²¹ 2018,²⁰¹⁸ the evidence of any witness has been taken for the purpose of proving the custody or disposal of any matter or thing forwarded in the course of the inquiry to any public officer for examination or analysis or report, or of proving the custody or disposal of any instrument, weapon, matter or thing used in or for the commission of any offence, or of proving the accuracy of any plan or survey made or photograph taken by that witness for the purpose of the case, the General Division of the ²⁰²¹High Court may, if it thinks fit, allow the deposition of that witness, taken and attested by an examining Magistrate in the presence of the accused to be given in evidence in any trial before the General Division of the ²⁰²¹High Court although the deponent is not called as a witness.