Impeaching credit of witness
AI Assist
Summary
An adverse party can attack a witness's credibility by showing people who know the witness think he is untrustworthy, by proving bribery or any corrupt inducement, or by producing prior statements that contradict his testimony. If one witness simply says another is unworthy, he cannot give reasons in his examination-in-chief but can be asked those reasons in cross-examination; his answers cannot later be contradicted, though false answers may lead to a charge for giving false evidence.
Example
Ravi sues Karan for payment for goods. Meera testifies she delivered the goods. Karan's lawyer calls a witness who says Meera earlier denied delivering them. That prior inconsistent statement can be used to impeach Meera's credit.
Bare Act
Enacted textThe credit of a witness may be impeached in the following ways by the adverse party, or, with the consent of the Court, by the party who calls him-
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(a) by the evidence of persons who testify that they, from their knowledge of the witness, believe him to be unworthy of credit;
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(b) by proof that the witness has been bribed, or has accepted the offer of a bribe, or has received any other corrupt inducement to give his evidence;
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(c) by proof of former statements inconsistent with any part of his evidence which is liable to be contradicted.
Explanation.-A witness declaring another witness to be unworthy of credit may not, upon his examination-in-chief, give reasons for his belief, but he may be asked his reasons in cross-examination, and the answers which he gives cannot be contradicted, though, if they are false, he may afterwards be charged with giving false evidence.
Illustrations.
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(a) A sues B for the price of goods sold and delivered to B. C says that he delivered the goods to B. Evidence is offered to show that, on a previous occasion, he said that he had not delivered goods to B. The evidence is admissible.
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(b) A is accused of the murder of B. C says that B, when dying, declared that A had given B the wound of which he died. Evidence is offered to show that, on a previous occasion, C said that B, when dying, did not declare that A had given B the wound of which he died. The evidence is admissible.
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