Complete and detailed Law of Evidence notes. Includes detailed class notes, relevant textbook summaries, in depth case summaries and lecturer's test/exam tips. Notes are set out in an organised, structured manner making it easy to understand.
Contents
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................3
Introductions and Overview..............................................................................................................3
Sources of Evidence.........................................................................................................................10
Basic Concepts and Distinctions.......................................................................................................13
Burden and Standard of Proof.........................................................................................................15
Burden and Standard of Proof in Civil Matters................................................................................18
Circumstantial Evidence...................................................................................................................19
2 The Admissibility of Relevant Evidence.............................................................................................22
The Admissibility of Relevant Evidence............................................................................................22
Character Evidence..........................................................................................................................26
Similar Fact Evidence.......................................................................................................................33
Opinion Evidence.............................................................................................................................46
Previous Consistent Statements......................................................................................................55
3 The Exclusion of Relevant Evidence..................................................................................................67
Private Privilege...............................................................................................................................67
State Privilege..................................................................................................................................75
Unconstitutionally Obtained Evidence.............................................................................................85
Hearsay Evidence...........................................................................................................................122
4 The Admissibility and Proof of the Contents of Relevant Detrimental Statements: Informal
Admissions and Confessions..............................................................................................................138
Definitions.....................................................................................................................................138
Informal Admissions......................................................................................................................138
Requirements for Admissibility......................................................................................................138
Admissions.....................................................................................................................................138
Admissions by Conduct..................................................................................................................139
Vicarious Admission.......................................................................................................................140
Admissibility of an Admission by an Accused against another Co-Accused...................................141
Requirements for Admission.........................................................................................................143
Confessions....................................................................................................................................144
Requirements for Confessions.......................................................................................................145
Section 217 v 291A........................................................................................................................145
Constitutional Challenges..............................................................................................................146
Facts Discovered because of an Inadmissible Admission or Confession........................................147
5 Kinds of Evidence............................................................................................................................148
Oral Evidence.................................................................................................................................148
Real Evidence.................................................................................................................................158
1
, Documentary Evidence..................................................................................................................161
Electronic Evidence........................................................................................................................162
6 Witnesses........................................................................................................................................164
The Competence and Compellability of Witnesses........................................................................164
The Calling of Witnesses and Refreshing the Memory of a Witness..............................................166
Impeaching the Credibility of a Witness........................................................................................168
7 Proof Without Evidence..................................................................................................................170
Formal Admissions.........................................................................................................................170
Judicial Notice................................................................................................................................172
8 Evaluation of Evidence....................................................................................................................175
General..........................................................................................................................................175
Guidelines to Resolve Factual Disputes.........................................................................................175
Corroboration................................................................................................................................175
Credibility and Demeanour............................................................................................................176
Circumstantial Evidence.................................................................................................................177
Cross-Examination and Other Issues..............................................................................................178
Cautionary Rule.............................................................................................................................179
2
,1 INTRODUCTION
Introductions and Overview
- What is the law of evidence?
o It is the area of law that governs the proof of facts in a court
o It is a branch of procedural law
Substantive law: rights and duties of parties
Procedural law: procedural mechanisms to enforce rights and duties
Key Questions
- What is the significance of the law of evidence?
o Procedural law
The machine that transforms the rules of substantive law into orders and
enforcements
- What are the functions of the law of evidence?
o Determines what facts can be admitted into evidence to prove the facts in issue
o Determines the manner in which evidence should be presented to the court
o Determines what evidence should not be considered by the court
o Identifies the factors influencing the probative value of evidence
o Determines what evidence may be lawfully withheld from the court, what rules
should be taken into account in assessing the weight or cogency of the evidence,
what standard of proof should be in a given situation, be satisfied before a party
bearing the burden of proof can be successful
- Where does the law of evidence fit into our legal system?
o A branch of procedural law (adjective law)
o Linked to criminal and civil procedure
History and Theory of Law of Evidence
- We use a strict system of evidence
- Stages
o The religious or primitive stage
Was thought that one should not sit in judgement upon another
“Trial by ordeal”
If a person was accused of something, they have to eat a dry piece
of bread while praying and if they are guilty, they would choke on
the bread
The idea is that if you are innocent then God would protect you
An appeal to God to decide factual dispute
Anglo-Saxons
“Trial by ordeal”
“Trial by battle”
o Trial by argument
3
, o What we do in court, except we do it orally now and not
physically anymore
o Thus could be earliest sign of adversarial system
o The formal stage
Came as a result of increase of human reason
Humans replaced God as judge
Oath became primary mode of proof and mistakes in form were fatal
The oath-helpers
Not necessarily somebody who had personal knowledge of the
matter or a witness
It was a person who could give under oath a guarantee that the
witness should be trusted
Oath and numbers of oath decisive
The person who had the highest number of oath-helpers wins the
trial
This introduced the idea of an oath, which we still use today
o The rational stage
The tribunal no longer merely verified procedural formalities but was
required to employ his reasoning powers in the fact-finding process
Role of oath helpers evolved to adjudicators which evolved to trial by jury
Evolving role of the jury
The jury had to be people who didn’t know anything about the
dispute
Legal disputes started becoming more complex and the facts of the
case would be told to the jury by witnesses
o Introduction of impartial litigator
Two distinctions
Jurors v witness
o Witness testified
Had personal knowledge of the facts
o Jurors determines facts on the basis of testimony
If the juror had personal knowledge they would be
disqualified as a juror
Jurors v judges
o Jurors would determine the facts
o Judges determines the law
Why did judges consider the admissibility of
evidence as a matter of law?
Jurors were lay persons and did not have
knowledge of evidence that should be
approached with caution
As soon as evidence is admitted it would
influence the jurors
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