Law of Evidence (Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023)
University of Delhi · LL.B. Semester 2 · LB-201
Unit I — General Issues relating to Law of Evidence
Re-enactment of past events for deducing blameworthiness or entitlements of the parties is the core enquiry of evidence law · Similarities between historians, authors, media persons and lawyers in re-enactment of past events · Significance of rules of evidence under Adversarial and Inquisitorial Systems of Justice · History of statutory evidence law in India; situation pre and post Indian Evidence Act, 1872 · Changes introduced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 · Words and expressions not defined in BSA but defined under IT Act, BNSS, BNS · Role of Judiciary in updating rules of evidence law · Concepts: Document, Evidence, Facts, Facts in issue, Relevant Fact, Proved, Disproved, Not Proved · Relationship between law of evidence and substantive laws (criminal and civil) and procedural laws (BNSS, CPC)
Unit II — Relevancy and Admissibility of Facts
Logically relevant facts (Ss. 3-7 and 9 BSA; Ss. 5-9 and 11 IEA); conspiracy (s. 8 BSA, s. 10 IEA) · Stated relevant facts: Admissions (Ss. 15-21 and 25 BSA); Confessions (Ss. 22-24 BSA); Dying Declarations (s. 26(1) BSA) · Opinion of Third Person when relevant (Ss. 39-45 BSA)
Unit III — On Proof
Facts which need not be proved (Ss. 51-53 BSA) · Facts which the parties are prohibited from proving - Doctrine of Estoppel (Ss. 121-123 BSA) · Privileged communications (Ss. 127-134 BSA) · Oral and documentary evidence (Ss. 54-77 BSA); s. 61 Electronic or Digital Record · Exclusion of oral by documentary evidence (Ss. 94-95 BSA)
Unit IV — Accomplice Evidence
s. 138 of BSA read with s. 119 Illustration (b)
Unit V — Witnesses: Competence and Examination
Child Witness (s. 124 BSA) · Dumb Witness (s. 125 BSA) · Hostile Witness (s. 157 BSA) · Examination, cross-examination, and re-examination - Ss. 142-144 and 158 BSA
Unit VI — Presumptions
Ss. 2(1), 35, 108, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 and 120 of BSA