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The Law Commission |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> The Law Commission >> Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Hearsay and related topics [1997] EWLC 245 (19 June 1997) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/other/EWLC/1997/245.html Cite as: [1997] EWLC 245 |
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Law Commission Report 245
SUMMARY |
Summary | ||||
PART I: INTRODUCTION |
1.1-1.59 | ||||
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Background to this project |
1.1 | ||||
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Our approach |
1.4 | ||||
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Need for codification of the law of evidence |
1.6 | ||||
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The provisional proposals in the consultation paper |
1.15 | ||||
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The consultation process |
1.22 | ||||
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Developments since the publication of the consultation paper |
1.27 | ||||
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Summary of principal recommendations |
1.29-1.54 | ||||
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Structure of this report |
1.59 | ||||
PART II: THE PRESENT LAW |
2.1-2.20 | ||||
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The rule itself |
2.2 | ||||
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The exceptions to the rule created before 1988 |
2.6-2.11 | ||||
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The Criminal Justice Act 1988 |
2.12 | ||||
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The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 |
2.20 | ||||
PART III: THE JUSTIFICATIONS OF THE HEARSAY RULE |
3.1-3.38 | ||||
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Conclusions |
3.37 | ||||
PART IV: IS THERE A NEED TO CHANGE THE PRESENT LAW? |
4.1-4.60 | ||||
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The exclusion of cogent evidence |
4.3-4.27 | ||||
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Evidence tendered by the defence |
4.4-4.13 | ||||
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Evidence tendered by the prosecution |
4.14-4.4.27 | ||||
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Judicial discretion |
4.28-4.31 | ||||
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The complexity of the rule and the exceptions |
4.32-4.53 | ||||
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The rule leads to a waste of court time |
4.54 | ||||
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The rule "often confuses witnesses and prevents them from telling their story in the witness-box in the natural way" |
4.56 | ||||
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Summary of criticisms of the rule |
4.58 | ||||
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Option 1: no change |
4.60 | ||||
PART V: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS |
5.1-5.41 | ||||
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Article 6 |
5.3-5.5.25 | ||||
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The right of the defendant to adduce hearsay evidence |
5.25 | ||||
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Provisional conclusions in the consultation paper |
5.26-5.32 | ||||
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The response on consultation |
5.33-5.40 | ||||
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Conclusion |
5.41 | ||||
PART VI: THE SIX OPTIONS FOR REFORM |
6.1-6.48 | ||||
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Option 2: the free admissibility approach |
6.3-6.16 | ||||
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Advantages |
6.4-6.7 | ||||
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Disadvantages |
6.8-6.14 | ||||
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The response on consultation |
6.15-6.16 | ||||
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Option 3: the "best available evidence" principle |
6.17-6.32 | ||||
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Option 4: an exclusionary rule with an inclusionary discretion |
6.33-6.37 | ||||
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Option 5: adding an inclusionary discretion to the existing system |
6.38-6.42 | ||||
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Option 6: categories of automatically admissible evidence |
6.43-6.47 | ||||
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Option 7: categories of automatic admissibility plus a limited inclusionary discretion |
6.48 | ||||
PART VII: THE FORMULATION OF A RULE AGAINST HEARSAY |
7.1-7.46 | ||||
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Assertions and direct evidence |
7.2-7.41 | ||||
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Borderline cases |
7.5-7.16 | ||||
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Our provisional proposal: intention to assert |
7.17-7.23 | ||||
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Modification of the provisional proposal |
7.24-7.35 | ||||
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Our recommended formulation |
7.40-7.41 | ||||
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Statements produced by machines |
7.42-7.46 | ||||
PART VIII: THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE |
8.1-8.150 | ||||
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Statements by persons who are unavailable |
8.3 | ||||
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What kinds of hearsay should be automatically admissible? |
8.4-8.33 | ||||
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What kinds of unavailability should make the statement admissible? |
8.34-8.47 | ||||
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Fear |
8.48-8.70 | ||||
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Business documents |
8.71-8.83 | ||||
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Confessions, mixed statements and denials |
8.84-8.99 | ||||
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Other statutory exceptions |
8.100-8.108 | ||||
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Existing common law exceptions |
8.114-8.132 | ||||
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The safety-valve: an inclusionary discretion |
8.133-8.149 | ||||
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Admitting hearsay by consent |
8.150 | ||||
PART IX: EXPERT EVIDENCE |
9.1-9.29 | ||||
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The present law: exceptions |
9.3-9.9 | ||||
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Problems with the present law |
9.10-9.11 | ||||
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Options for reform considered in the consultation paper |
9.12-9.22 | ||||
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Our recommendation |
9.23-9.29 | ||||
PART X: PREVIOUS STATEMENTS BY WITNESSES |
10.1-10.99 | ||||
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Previous consistent statements |
10.2 | ||||
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Summary of the present law |
10.2-10.10 | ||||
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Justifications and criticisms of the rule against previous consistent statements |
10.11-10.26 | ||||
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The options and the response on consultation |
10.27-10.38 | ||||
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10.28-10.29 | ||||
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10.30-10.34 | ||||
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10.35-10.38 | ||||
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General considerations |
10.39-10.40 | ||||
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The recommended exceptions |
10.41-10.61 | ||||
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Documentary statements as exhibits |
10.62 | ||||
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Previous statements which take the place of or supplement oral testimony |
10.63 | ||||
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Inability to remember |
10.63-10.82 | ||||
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Children's evidence recorded on video |
10.83-10.86 | ||||
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Previous inconsistent statements |
10.87 | ||||
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Summary of the present law |
10.88 | ||||
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Criticism of the present law |
10.89 | ||||
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The proposed reform |
10.91 | ||||
|
10.99 | ||||
PART XI: SAFEGUARDS FOR THE PARTY AGAINST WHOM HEARSAY EVIDENCE IS ADDUCED |
11.1-11.36 | ||||
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Disclosure of the prosecution case |
11.2 | ||||
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Safeguards inherent in our recommended scheme |
11.3-11.5 | ||||
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Formal notice to be given |
11.6-11.7 | ||||
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Application for a ruling on admissibility to be made pre-trial where possible |
11.8-11.11 | ||||
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The burden of proof |
11.12 | ||||
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The standard of proof |
11.13-11.14 | ||||
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Judicial discretions |
11.15 | ||||
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An additional power to exclude evidence |
11.16-11.18 | ||||
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The right to challenge the credibility of the absent declarant |
11.19-11.25 | ||||
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The court's duty to stop the trial |
11.26-11.32 | ||||
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The judge's direction to the jury |
11.33-11.35 | ||||
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A possible further safeguard |
11.36 | ||||
PART XII: PROCEDURAL MATTERS |
12.1-12.15 | ||||
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Application of the rules |
12.1-12.12 | ||||
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Courts-martial |
12.9 | ||||
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Professional tribunals |
12.10 | ||||
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Coroners' courts |
12.11 | ||||
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Trial procedure |
12.13-12.15 | ||||
PART XIII: COMPUTER EVIDENCE |
13.1-13.23 | ||||
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PACE, section 69 |
13.4-13.5 | ||||
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Problems with the present law |
13.6-13.14 | ||||
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Response on consultation |
13.15-13.22 | ||||
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Our recommendation |
13.23 | ||||
PART XIV: OUR RECOMMENDATIONS |
Summary | ||||
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The rule against hearsay |
1 | ||||
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The exceptions to the rule |
2 | ||||
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The unavailability exception |
3 | ||||
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Fear |
4 | ||||
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Business documents |
5 | ||||
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Confessions, mixed statements and denials |
6 | ||||
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Evidence given at an earlier trial |
7 | ||||
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The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 |
8 | ||||
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Res gestae |
9 | ||||
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The common enterprise exception |
10 | ||||
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Other common law exceptions |
11 | ||||
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The safety valve |
12 | ||||
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Admitting hearsay by consent |
13 | ||||
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Expert evidence |
14 | ||||
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Previous statements by witnesses |
15 | ||||
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Suggestion of late invention |
16 | ||||
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Evidence of a previous identification or description |
17 | ||||
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Recent complaint |
18 | ||||
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Documentary statements as exhibits |
19 | ||||
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Inability to remember |
20 | ||||
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Previous inconsistent statements |
21 | ||||
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Safeguards for the party against whom hearsay evidence is adduced |
22 | ||||
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Formal notice to be given |
23 | ||||
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Application for a ruling on admissibility to be made pre-trial where possible |
24 | ||||
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An additional power to exclude evidence |
25 | ||||
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Right to challenge the credibility of the absent declarant |
26 | ||||
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The court's duty to stop the trial |
27 | ||||
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Procedural matters |
28 | ||||
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Computer evidence |
29 | ||||
APPENDIX A: DRAFT CRIMINAL EVIDENCE BILL |
Appendix A | ||||
APPENDIX B: EXTRACTS FROM RELEVANT LEGISLATION
|
Appendix B | ||||
APPENDIX C: LIST OF THOSE WHO COMMENTED ON THE CONSULTATION PAPER |
Appendix C | ||||
APPENDIX D: PARTICIPANTS IN THE LAW COMMISSION SEMINAR ON CRIMINAL HEARSAY OF 10 FEBRUARY 1996 |
Appendix D | ||||
