Witnesses to character

A witness called to give evidence about another person's character can be questioned by the opposite side and then questioned again by the party who called them. This applies when the testimony is about character rather than specific facts. The consequence is that the witness's credibility can be tested through cross-examination and re-examination like any other witness.

Priya testifies that her neighbour Ravi is honest. The defence can cross-examine Priya on her statements, and then the prosecution or calling party can re-examine her to clarify answers. That process lets the court judge how reliable Priya's character testimony is.