Hearsay PDF
Hearsay PDF
Hearsay PDF
Ratten v R
The mere fact that evidence of a witness
includes evidence as to words spoken by
another person who is not called is no objection
to its admissibility. Words spoken are facts just
as much as any other action by a human being.
If the speaking of the words is a relevant fact,
a witness may give evidence that they were
spoken. A question of hearsay only arises when
the words spoken are relied on 'testimonially', i
e as establishing some fact narrated by the
words
PP v Datuk Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim
-
iv.
Out of ct assertion
Repeated in ct
The original maker of the
statement is not witness (cannot
be cross-examined)
The purpose of adducing the
assertion is to prove the truth of
content
Rule
Anything to be proved by oral testimony may
be proved only by witnesses through personal
observation of their own senses and not from
what they have been told. The evidence must
therefore be direct in this sense.
In Malaysia, section 60 of Evidence Act 1950
lay down that oral evidence must be direct.
Oral evidence shall in all cases whatever be
direct, that is to say:
Express assertion:
ii.
Implied assertions:
Statement is tendered to
prove
the
hidden
meaning/fact
hello X
Impliedly saying: X was there
I saw Ms.X coming out of
Hotel Dunia
*note that hearsay rule will
only
apply to
implied
assertions.
a).
s. 32
s. 33
s. 73A
s. 90
res gastae/s. 6
confession/admissions
s.32 of EA
-
preconditions:
under s. 32 a statement could only be
admitted as an exception to hearsay
provided it was made by 4 categories
of person:
o the maker is dead
o the maker cant be found
o incapable of giving evidence
o unreasonable delay/expenses
s. 32 (1) a
-
Boota Singh v PP
The statement made 9 months before the
actual death was too remote
Haji Salleh v PP
-
Chandrasekara v R
-
Examples:
Naranjan Singh v PP
-
(1)
s. 73A
Dr. Z
K
1st hand
L
2nd hand
s.32 (1) c
PP v Foster
-
Ng Yiu Kwok v PP
Receipt fall under para (b) of s. 32
st
Conjunctive
disjunctive
marks the
s. 32 (1) h
-
Du Bost v Beresford
-
s. 32 (1) i & j
-
end of
section
the
Impact:
Conjunctive
-
Page 177
HC decision: the J reads the para
conjunctively
Disjunctive
-
(i)
(j)
s. 119, 112
o
o
Ayoromi Helen v PP
-
Lakshamana v Vardhanamma
c)
b)
s. 73A
Bandhala Undik v PP
-
same parties
opportunity & right to crossexamine
(in
earlier
proceeding)
same issue
d).
page 190
the maker not available as he is busy
still can be admissible
s. 90A
-
Ganasegaran v PP
Oral evidence by person in charge of
operations was sufficient to satisfy the
requirement of s. 90A(2)
e) res gastae
-
Ratten v R
CL
s.6
Common Law:
OE
Bedingfield
-
Teper v R
-
R v Andrews
-
Bedingfield overruled
The court held that since the Vs
statement to the police was made by
the seriously injured man in
circumstances that were spontaneous
and contemporaneous with the
attack,
there was thus no possibility of any
concoction or fabrication of
identification.
A statement made to a witness by the
victim of an attack describing how he
had received his injuries was
admissible in evidence as part of the
res gestae.
CL RG apply in Malaysia:
-
o
Mohamed Allapitchay
-
Which is wider:
o
Page 207
s.6
Kok Ho Leng v PP
o
o
o
RG
Hamsa Kunju v R
o
o
Leong Hong Khie v PP
o
Andrews Test
o
o
o
o
Boota Singh v PP
The statement made 9 month bef the death
was too remote
o
o
o