Subjects:

Other Jurisdictions

Contents:

Relevance

Burden and Standard of Proof

Competence, Compellability and Privilege

Examination of Witnesses

Character and Similar Fact Evidence

The Accused as a Witness

Documentary Evidence

Demonstrative and Real Evidence

Hearsay: The Exclusionary Rule

Hearsay: The Common Law and Statutory Exceptions

Opinion Evidence and Prior Determinations

Confessions and Admissions

Illegally obtained Evidence and Confirmation by Subsequent Fact

Identification Evidence

Corroboration

Rules of Evidence in Australia is a valuable resource and essential reading for criminal law and criminology students at graduate and undergradutate levels, judical officers, practitioners, and members of law enforement bodies.

Rules of Evidence in Australia is the only evidence textbook and casebook that comprehensively considers the law of evidence in all Australian states and territories. It is also eminently succinct; the court judgments presented in the book having been carefully edited by the authors to contain only the essential passages. Readers will quickly identify and master the main principles of the law of evidence.

As a casebook, it introduces readers to the type of scholarly appellate court judgments that will enable them to acquire the writing and oratory skills they need to become competent practitioners. As a textbook, it includes commentary and questions that highlight the crucial issues in the cases, analyse the legal reasoning used by the judges, and test readers’ comprehension of the major concepts.

The first edition of this book was published in November 2005. Due to its success and the many new developments in the area of evidence law, this updated second edition has been published. New in this edition are recent developments including: the 2005 legislation in Western Australia on Propensity Evidence; and the High Court decision on the Rule in Browne v Dunn.