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Oral evidence

Definition

Testimony given in court by a witness under oath or affirmation. The witness speaks directly to the facts within their personal knowledge. Expert witnesses give a specialised form of oral evidence that includes opinion, not just observation.

Related terms

Chain of custody
The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
Circumstantial evidence
Evidence that requires an inference to connect it to the fact in dispute. A forensic finding such as DNA concordance between a...
Documentary evidence
Any document produced before a court to prove the truth of its contents. The category includes paper documents, electronic records, photographs, audio...
Primary evidence
The best available form of a document, ordinarily the original itself. Under BSA 2023, electronic records certified under Section 63 are treated...
Real evidence
A physical object produced for inspection by the court. Examples include weapons, seized drugs, biological samples, and fingerprint lifts. Real evidence requires...

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