Competent Evidence - Law Dictionary Search Results
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Witness
Witness, is a person who testifies in a court, Webster Random House Dictionary, p. 1680.Witness, one who gives evidence in a cause.1. One who sees, knows, or vouches for something2. One who gives testimony, under oath or affirmation, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1596.A witness must attend in court according to the requirement of his subp'na. If he has not been paid his lawful expenses, he may refuse to be sworn; but if he be once sworn, he must give his evidence. See OATH and AFFIRMATION.In civil cases, as a rule, husband and wife are competent and compellable witnesses against each other [Evidence Amendment Act, 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. 83), s. 1], but husbands and wives are not compellable to disclose communications between each other (s. 3 ibid.). As to criminal cases, see Criminal Evidence Act, 1898, as amended, and that title.A witness is not obliged to answer any question which tends to criminate him.On the application of either party, all the witnesses on both sides are or...
Residuum rule
Residuum rule, means the principle that an agency decision based partly on hearsay evidence will be upheld on judicial review only if the decision is founded on at least some competent evidence, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1311...
clearly erroneous
clearly erroneous : being or containing a finding of fact that is not supported by substantial or competent evidence or by reasonable inferences [findings of fact…shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous "Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 52(a)"] see also Amendment VII to the Constitution in the back matter compare abuse of discretion, de novo NOTE: The requirement that findings be clearly erroneous to be set aside is a standard of review used esp. by an appellate court when reviewing a trial judge's (as opposed to a jury's) findings of fact for error. ...
Criminal Evidence Act
Criminal Evidence Act, 1898 (English) (61 & 62 Vict. c. 36), the general Act by which every person charged with an offence and his or her wife or husband became a competent, but not a compellable, witness for the defence at every stage of the proceedings.The Evidence Acts, 1851 and 1853, whichmade parties and spouses admissible witnesses (they having been previously incompetent on the groundof interest), expressly excepted criminal proceedings from its opertion; but a series of enactments dealing with particular offences, from the Licensing Act, 1872, downto the Chaff Cutting Machines Accidents Act, 1897 (of which s. 20 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885, was by far the most important), did away with this exception, in particular cases and in varying phraseology, but without qualifications except that against compellability, and enabled accused persons to give evidenceon oath in their own defence.The Act of 1898, superseding [see Charnock v. Merchant, (1900) 1 QB 474] but not expr...
Testimony
Testimony, evidence given; proof by a witness. See EVIDENCE and PERPETUATING TESTIMONY.Means an evidence that a competent witness under oath or affirmation gives at trial or in an affidavit or deposition, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1485...
Nemo tenetur prodere seipsum
Nemo tenetur prodere seipsum, (No one is bound to betray himself.) No one is bound to swear to the fact of his own criminality, no one can be forced to give his own oath in evidence of his guilt.The (English) Evidence Act, 1851 (14 & 15 Vict. c. 99), which by s. 5 makes parties admissible witnesses in actions, expressly saved criminal proceedings from its operation, but a series of particular enactments, e.g., the (English) Licensing Act, 1872, s. 51, the (English) Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885, s. 20, and the (English) Law of Libel Amendment Act, 1888, s. 9, and finally the general (English) Criminal Evidence Act, 1898 (see that title), make defendants competent, but not compellable, to give evidence....
Laying a foundation
Laying a foundation, means introducing evidence of certain facts needed to render later evidence relevant, material, or competent. For example, propounding a hypothetical question to an expert is necessary before the expert may render an opinion. Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 896....
Question of fact
Question of fact, is one capable of being answered by way of demonstration, a question of opinion is one that cannot be so answered. The answer to it is a matter of speculation which cannot be proved by any available evidence to be right or wrong. The past history of a company's business is a matter of fact, but its prospects of successful business in the future is a matter of opinion, Salmond on Jurisprudence, 12th Edn., p. 69: AIR 1994 SC 678.Means an issue that has not been predetermined and authoritatively answered by the law. An example is whether a particular criminal defendant is guilty of an offense or whether a contractor has delayed unreasonably in constructing a building, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1260.Question of fact might be stated in an issue without pleadings by consent (C.L.P. Act, 1852, s. 42), and may now be so stated under (English) R.S.C. Ord. XXXIV, r. 9.In general when a jury is sworn it decides all the issues of fact; but if there arise in the course ...
Stare decisis
Stare decisis, to abide by authorities or cases already adjudicated upon.The doctrine of precedent , under which it is necess-ary for a court to follow earlier judicial decisions when some points arise again in litigation, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1414.Stare decisis is a well-known doctrine in legal jurisprudence. The doctrine of stare decisis, meaning to stand by decided cases, rests upon the principle that law by which men are governed should be fixed, definite and known, and that, when the law is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction authorised to construe it, such declaration, in absence of palpable mistake or error, is itself evidence of the law until changed by competent authority. It requires that rules of law when clearly announced and established by a court of last resort should not be lightly disregarded and set aside but should be adhered to and followed. What it precludes is that where a principle of law has become established by a series of decisions, i...
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