DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY (DSNLU) VISAKHAPATNAM

Law of Evidence

Course Code Semester Credits Minimum Maximum Sessions

Teaching Sessions

04-1 4 3 55 65
Faculty: Dr.Nandini C P
Objectives and Scope

Sl. No of Title of the Detailed Sessions Cases/ Additional Material

Unit Chapter
& No. Of
Sessions
Unit I Chapter Introduction 1 J. R. Gulson The Philosophy of
I  Evidence and Law of Evidence Proof in Its Relation the English Law
 Truth and Fact Finding Process of Judicial Evidence 190 1905
8  The development of Law of Evidence and
common law principles 3 Jeremy Bentham Rationale of
 Different Types of Evidence Judicial Evidence Applied to English
 Different Types of Court and use of Evidence- Practice v 1995
Applicability of IEA to Tribunals, Commission
of enquiry, Court Martial’s.
 Stages of Proceedings
 Introduction of the British principles of
Evidence
Unit II Chapter II Part I- Relevancy
5 Indian Evidence Act. 1872 ( IEA)
Ss-1-4  Historical Development
 The main features of IEA
 Definitions – Interpretation of Key concepts:
Facts: Facts in issue: Proof: Proved: Disproved
and Not Proved
 May Presume; Shall Presume & Conclusive
Proof
Unit III Chapter III Relevancy & Admissibility 1.St of Kar V M N Ramdas AIR 2002
25  Relevancy: Best Evidence rule SC 3109
Ss 5-55  The Principle and various kinds of relevant 2.Shakharam Shankar Bansode V. St
facts; res gestae, common intention, facts for of Mah AIR 1994 SC 1594
proof of custom, state of mind, body, bodily  The Continued Relevance of
feeling etc. the Irrelevance of the
 General principles concerning admissions and Motive Maxim: Michael T
confessions, rules of exclusion of admissions Roseberg: 57 Duke L.J.
and confessions caused by inducement or made 1143 2007-2008
to police or in police custody, retracted  Motive As An Essential
confessions, confessions of co-accused etc. Element of Crime: 35 Dick.
 Dying declaration and their evidentiary value, L. Rev. 105 October 1930 to
other statements by persons who cannot be May 1931
called as witness, special problems concerning  Character and Motive in
women particularly in marriage Evidence Law David P.
 Relevancy of Courts of Justice judgments Leonard: 34 Loy. L.A. L.
 Opinion of third person, when relevant Rev. 439 2000-2001
 Character when relevant  Social Science Evidence and
the discrepancy in the
Federal Rules of Evidence

1
 on Character Testimony :
Margaret Platt Jendrek
Martin F. Kaplan: 11 Law &
Psychol. Rev. 39 1987
 Admissibility of Low
Template DNA Evidence:
77 J. Crim. L. 115 2013
 Voice identification
evidence: 16 Legal Service
Bull. 27 1991
 Conduct, relevance and the
hearsay rule: Michael Hirst
13 Legal Stud. 54 1993
 Character Evidence: Getting
to the Root of the Problem
Through Comparison: 24
Am. J. Crim. L. 581 1996-
1997
Unit IV Chapter IV Part II
10 On Proof
Ss- 56-90A  Facts which need not be proved
 Oral Evidence
Exclusion of Oral Evidence by Documentary Evidence –
Oral Evidence to be Direct – Law relating to Hearsay
Evidence
 Of Documentary Evidence
Primary and Secondary Evidence
Electronic Records: Public & Private Documents:
Certified Copies etc
 Presumptions as to Documents- Various
presumptions

Unit V Chapter V Of the Exclusion of Oral by Documentary Evidence

4 Exclusion of Terms of Contracts/ Oral Agreements etc
Ss 91- 100
Chapter VI PART III
Unit VI 6 Of Burden of Proof
Ss101-114A On whom, of particular Fact, Seven Years Absence:
Documents of Thirty Years: Legitimacy: Dowry Death:
Absence of Consent of for Rape etc.

Unit VII Chapter Estoppel Promissory Estoppel: The Life

VII Estoppel of Tenant: Estoppel of Acceptance of a Bill of History of an Ideal Legal Transplant:
Ss 115-117 Exchange Joel M. Ngug: 41 U. Rich. L. Rev.
2 425 2006-2007
Chapter Of Witnesses 3 Crim. L.Q. 198 1960-1961
Unit VIII Who may Testify: Dumb Witnesses: Husband or Wife of
VIII Ss 118-134 the Person in Criminal Trial: Judges and Magistrates: Corroboration Of Testimony of
Communication During Marriage: Evidence of Affairs of Accomplice Necessary To Satisfy
State: Official Communication: Professional Statutory Requirement: 10 Brook. L.
Communication: Privileged communication :Accomplice Rev. 395 1940-1941
etc
Unit IX Chapter IX Of Examination of Witnesses The Content of Competence Tests:
Ss 135-166  Order for Production of Witnesses: Queensland Judicial Perspectives on
 Examination –in –Chief: Cross Examination: Non accused Child Witnesses in Criminal

2
 Reexamination: Order of Examination: Proceeding s – KAREN SCHULTZ Part 1
Direction of Examination: Witnesses Character: and Part 2-23 U. Queensland L.J. 134
Leading Questions etc. 2004
 Impeaching credit of Witnesses
 Child Witnesses Who is an Accomplice?
 Refreshing Memory 2 Can. L. Rev. 319 1902-1903
 Production of documents etc
Unit X Chapter X Of Improper Admissions and Rejection of Evidence
S 167 No new Trail for improper admission or rejection of
evidence

Wigmore on Evidence
The New Wigmore: A Treatise on Evidence – Expert Evidnce. By David H. Kaye (Author),
David E. Bernstein (Author), Jennifer L. Mnookin (Author)Second Edition- HardCover
Wigmore on Evidence Nov 2010 ISBN-13: 978-0735593534 ISBN-10: 0735593531 Edition:
2nd Price $ 261. 25

WOODROFFE AND AMIR ALI LAW OF EVIDENCE

WOODROFFE AND AMIR ALI (Revised by: B.M.Prasad, Manish Mohan): ISBN-:
9788180387883: Year-: 2012-Format: Hard Cover Edition :(set of 4 vols.) Price: INR
7995.00 / US$ 122.25

SC Sarkar: Law of Evidence in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Ceylon: Malaysia &
Singapore: Author S C Sarkar Hardcover: 10th Edition 1 Dec 2013: English: ISBN-10:
9351430855: ISBN-13: 978-9351430858: LexisNexis Butterworth’s

Dr. V Nageswara Rao The Indian Evidence Act: Author(s):Dr. V Nageswara Rao: ISBN
: 9788180387357: Year: 2012: Format: Hard Cover: Edition: 1st Edition: Price: INR 895.00 /
US$ 13.69

Law of Evidence: Ratanlal and Dhirajlal Law 24 Ed: PB: Lexis Nexis Butterworth’s Wadhwa

DNA Technology In Administration Of Justice: Author(s):Jyotirmoy Adhikary: ISBN:

9788180381560/ Year: 2007/Format-: Hard Cover-Edition/ Price: INR 1495.00 / US$ 22.86

Electronic Evidence (3rd Edition)- General Editor- Stephan Mason- LexisNexis Butterworth,
2012

Digital Evidence and Computer Crime: Forensic Science, Computer, and the Internet
Hardcover- Author: Eoghan Casey, Academic Press Inc; 3rd Revised edition (13 June 2011)

Murphy on Evidence Peter Murphy 11th Evidence – OUP- Online Resource Centre

Cross & Tapper on Evidence by Colin Tapper 12th Edition – Online Resource Centre (OUP)