2017•Oxford University Press eBooksRequires access
17. Witness statements and documentary evidence
Susan Cunningham-Hill, Karen Nokleby Elder
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Abstract
Cases can readily be won or lost on the strength of witness evidence at trial. Important applications may fail if a witness statement does not adequately deal with all of the issues. A legal representative must therefore understand both the underlying theory behind the use of witness evidence and documentation during the course of litigation, including the rules on hearsay, as well as the practical requirements and challenges encountered in the preparation of witness statements. This chapter discusses the use of evidence at trial; the preparation of witness statements for interim applications and at trial; the use of hearsay in civil cases; and evidential tools.