138. Defence. -(1) The accused shall be asked what he has to say in his defence and shall be allowed to make his defence. He may be allowed to have any person to assist him during the trial, whether a legal adviser or any other person. (2) The court, or the judge-advocate, if any, may question the accused for the purpose of enabling him to explain any circumstances appearing in his statement or in the evidence against him. The accused shall not render himself liable to punishment by refusing to answer such questions or by giving answers to them which he knows not to be true, but the court may draw such inference from such refusal or answers as it thinks fit.
|