Briefcase on Evidence

The Law of Evidence has undergone significant changes over the last five years. Legislative reform has included new rules on the right to silence, hearsay evidence, the evidence of children and much more. There have also been numerous decisions by the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords which have sought to interpret, apply and develop the legislative framework further. In particular, recent cases have dealt with the interpretation and application of important legislation in relation to, for instance, the right to remain silent and the use of improperly obtained evidence. This volume contains notes on all these major cases and also includes the relevant legislation changes, such as the new rules in relation to the examination of complainants in cases of secual offences as contained in the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Preliminary Matters; Burden and Standard of Proof; Facts Which Need Not be Proved; Competence and Compellability of Witnesses; Oral Testimony: Examination of Witnesses; Admissibility of Opinion Evidence; Rule against Hearsay Evidence: Common Law Exceptions; Statutory Exceptions to Hearsay in Civil Cases; Statutory Exceptions to Hearsay in Criminal Cases; Confessions; Similar Fact Evidence; Character; Corroboration.