EVIDENCE ACT 2011

Table of Provisions

• Long Title

CHAPTER 1--PRELIMINARY

PART 1.1--FORMAL MATTERS

• 1 Name of Act  
• 3 Dictionary  
• 3A Numbering  
• 3B Notes  

PART 1.2--APPLICATION OF THIS ACT

• 4 Courts and proceedings to which Act applies  
• 5 Extended application of certain provisions  
• 6 Territories  
• 7 Act binds Crown  
• 8 Operation of other Acts  
• 8A Offences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc  
• 9 Application of common law and equity  
• 10 Parliamentary privilege preserved  
• 11 General powers of a court  

CHAPTER 2--GIVING AND PRESENTING EVIDENCE

PART 2.1--WITNESSES

Division 2.1.1--Competence and compellability of witnesses

• 12 Competence and compellability  
• 13 Competence—lack of capacity  
• 14 Compellability—reduced capacity  
• 15 Compellability—Sovereign and others  
• 16 Competence and compellability—judges and jurors  
• 17 Competence and compellability—defendants in criminal proceedings  
• 18 Compellability of domestic partners and others in criminal proceedings  
• 19 Compellability of domestic partners and others in certain criminal  
• 20 Comment on failure to give evidence  

Division 2.1.2--Oaths and affirmations

• 21 Sworn evidence of witnesses to be on oath or affirmation  
• 22 Interpreters and intermediaries to act on oath or affirmation  
• 23 Choice of oath or affirmation  
• 24 Requirements for oaths  
• 24A Alternative oath  

Division 2.1.3--General rules about giving evidence

• 26 Court's control over questioning of witnesses  
• 27 Parties may question witnesses  
• 28 Order of examination-in-chief, cross-examination and  
• 29 Manner and form of questioning witnesses and their responses  
• 30 Interpreters  
• 31 Deaf and mute witnesses  
• 32 Attempts to revive memory in court  
• 33 Evidence given by police officers  
• 34 Attempts to revive memory out of court  
• 35 Effect of calling for production of documents  
• 36 Person may be examined without subpoena or other process  

Division 2.1.4--Examination-in-chief and re-examination

• 37 Leading questions  
• 38 Unfavourable witnesses  
• 39 Limits on re-examination  

Division 2.1.5--Cross-examination

• 40 Witness called in error  
• 41 Improper questions  
• 42 Leading questions  
• 43 Prior inconsistent statements of witnesses  
• 44 Previous representations of other people  
• 45 Production of documents  
• 46 Leave to recall witnesses  

PART 2.2--DOCUMENTS

• 47 Definitions—pt 2.2  
• 48 Proof of contents of documents  
• 49 Documents in foreign countries  
• 50 Proof of voluminous or complex documents  
• 51 Original document rule abolished  

PART 2.3--OTHER EVIDENCE

• 52 Presenting of other evidence not affected  
• 53 Views  
• 54 Views to be evidence  

CHAPTER 3--ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE

PART 3.1--RELEVANCE

• 55 Relevant evidence  
• 56 Relevant evidence to be admissible  
• 57 Provisional relevance  
• 58 Inferences as to relevance  

PART 3.2--HEARSAY

Division 3.2.1--The hearsay rule

• 59 The hearsay rule—exclusion of hearsay evidence  
• 60 Exception—evidence relevant for a non-hearsay purpose  
• 61 Exceptions to the hearsay rule dependent on competency  

Division 3.2.2--First-hand hearsay

• 62 Restriction to first-hand hearsay  
• 63 Exception—civil proceedings if maker not available  
• 64 Exception—civil proceedings if maker available  
• 65 Exception—criminal proceedings if maker not available  
• 66 Exception—criminal proceedings if maker available  
• 66A Exception—contemporaneous statements about a person's health etc  
• 67 Notice to be given  
• 68 Objections to tender of hearsay evidence in civil proceedings if maker  

Division 3.2.3--Other exceptions to the hearsay rule

• 69 Exception—business records  
• 70 Exception—contents of tags, labels and writing  
• 71 Exception—electronic communications  
• 72 Exception—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional laws and customs  
• 73 Exception—reputation as to relationships and age  
• 74 Exception—reputation of public or general rights  
• 75 Exception—interlocutory proceedings  

PART 3.3--OPINION

• 76 The opinion rule  
• 77 Exception—evidence relevant otherwise than as opinion evidence  
• 78 Exception—lay opinions  
• 78A Exception—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional laws and customs  
• 79 Exception—opinions based on specialised knowledge  
• 80 Ultimate issue and common knowledge rules abolished  

PART 3.4--ADMISSIONS

• 81 Hearsay and opinion rules—exception for admissions and related  
• 82 Exclusion of evidence of admissions that is not first-hand  
• 83 Exclusion of evidence of admissions as against third parties  
• 84 Exclusion of admissions influenced by violence and certain other  
• 85 Criminal proceedings—reliability of admissions by defendants  
• 86 Exclusion of records of oral questioning  
• 87 Admissions made with authority  
• 88 Proof of admissions  
• 89 Evidence of silence  
• 90 Discretion to exclude admissions  

PART 3.5--EVIDENCE OF JUDGMENTS AND CONVICTIONS

• 91 Exclusion of evidence of judgments and convictions  
• 92 Exceptions  
• 93 Savings  

PART 3.6--TENDENCY AND COINCIDENCE

• 94 Application—pt 3.6  
• 95 Use of evidence for other purposes  
• 96 Failure to act  
• 97 The tendency rule  
• 97A Admissibility of tendency evidence in proceedings involving child sexual  
• 98 The coincidence rule  
• 99 Requirements for notices  
• 100 Court may dispense with notice requirements  
• 101 Further restrictions on tendency evidence and coincidence evidence presented by  

PART 3.7--CREDIBILITY

Division 3.7.1--Credibility evidence

• 101A Credibility evidence  

Division 3.7.2--Credibility of witnesses

• 102 The credibility rule  
• 103 Exception—cross-examination as to credibility  
• 104 Further protections—cross-examination as to credibility  
• 106 Exception—rebutting denials by other evidence  
• 108 Exception—re-establishing credibility  

Division 3.7.3--Credibility of people who are not witnesses

• 108A Admissibility of evidence of credibility of person who has made a previous  
• 108B Further protections—previous representations of an accused who is not a  

Division 3.7.4--People with specialised knowledge

• 108C Exception—evidence of people with specialised knowledge  

PART 3.8--CHARACTER

• 109 Application—pt 3.8  
• 110 Evidence about character of accused people  
• 111 Evidence about character of co-accused  
• 112 Leave required to cross-examine about character of accused or  

PART 3.9--IDENTIFICATION EVIDENCE

• 113 Application—pt 3.9  
• 114 Exclusion of visual identification evidence  
• 115 Exclusion of evidence of identification by pictures  
• 116 Directions to jury  

PART 3.10--PRIVILEGES

Division 3.10.1--Client legal privilege

• 117 Definitions—div 3.10.1  
• 118 Legal advice  
• 119 Litigation  
• 120 Unrepresented parties  
• 121 Loss of client legal privilege—generally  
• 122 Loss of client legal privilege—consent and related matters  
• 123 Loss of client legal privilege—defendants  
• 124 Loss of client legal privilege—joint clients  
• 125 Loss of client legal privilege—misconduct  
• 126 Loss of client legal privilege—related communications and  

Division 3.10.1A--Professional confidential relationship privilege

• 126A Definitions—div 3.10.1A  
• 126B Exclusion of evidence of protected confidences  
• 126C Loss of professional confidential relationship  
• 126D Loss of professional confidential relationship  
• 126E Ancillary orders  
• 126F Application—div 3.10.1A  

Division 3.10.1C--Journalist privilege

• 126J Definitions—div 3.10.1C  
• 126K Journalist privilege relating to informant's identity  
• 126L Application—div 3.10.1C  

Division 3.10.2--Other privileges

• 127 Religious confessions  
• 128 Privilege in relation to self-incrimination in other proceedings  
• 128A Privilege in relation to self-incrimination—exception for certain orders  

Division 3.10.3--Evidence excluded in the public interest

• 129 Exclusion of evidence of reasons for judicial etc decisions  
• 130 Exclusion of evidence of matters of state  
• 131 Exclusion of evidence of settlement negotiations  

Division 3.10.4--General

• 131A Application of div 3.10.4 to preliminary proceedings of courts  
• 132 Court to inform of rights to make applications and objections  
• 133 Court may inspect etc documents  
• 134 Inadmissibility of evidence that must not be presented or given  

PART 3.11--DISCRETIONARY AND MANDATORY EXCLUSIONS

• 135 General discretion to exclude evidence  
• 136 General discretion to limit use of evidence  
• 137 Exclusion of prejudicial evidence in criminal proceedings  
• 138 Exclusion of improperly or illegally obtained evidence  
• 139 Cautioning of people  

CHAPTER 4--PROOF

PART 4.1--STANDARD OF PROOF

• 140 Civil proceedings—standard of proof  
• 141 Criminal proceedings—standard of proof  
• 142 Admissibility of evidence—standard of proof  

PART 4.2--JUDICIAL NOTICE

• 143 Matters of law  
• 144 Matters of common knowledge  
• 145 Certain Crown certificates  

PART 4.3--FACILITATION OF PROOF

Division 4.3.1--General

• 146 Evidence produced by processes, machines and other devices  
• 147 Documents produced by processes, machines and other devices in the course of  
• 148 Evidence of certain acts of justices, Australian lawyers and notaries  
• 149 Attestation of documents  
• 150 Seals and signatures  
• 151 Seals of bodies established under State law  
• 152 Documents produced from proper custody  

Division 4.3.2--Matters of official record

• 153 Gazettes and other official documents  
• 154 Documents published by authority of Parliaments etc  
• 155 Evidence of official records  
• 155A Evidence of Commonwealth documents  
• 156 Public documents  
• 157 Public documents relating to court processes  
• 158 Evidence of certain public documents  
• 159 Official statistics  

Division 4.3.3--Matters relating to post and communications

• 160 Postal articles  
• 161 Electronic communications  
• 162 Lettergrams and telegrams  
• 163 Proof of letters having been sent by Commonwealth agencies  

PART 4.4--CORROBORATION

• 164 Corroboration requirements abolished  

PART 4.5--WARNINGS AND INFORMATION

• 165 Unreliable evidence  
• 165A Warnings in relation to children's evidence  
• 165B Delay in prosecution  

PART 4.6--ANCILLARY PROVISIONS

Division 4.6.1--Requests to produce documents or call witnesses

• 166 Meaning of request—div 4.6.1  
• 167 Requests may be made about certain matters  
• 168 Time limits for making certain requests  
• 169 Failure to comply with requests  

Division 4.6.2--Proof of certain matters by affidavits or written statements

• 170 Evidence relating to certain matters  
• 171 People who may give evidence mentioned in s 170  
• 172 Evidence based on knowledge, belief or information  
• 173 Notification of other parties  

Division 4.6.3--Foreign law

• 174 Evidence of foreign law  
• 175 Evidence of law reports of foreign countries  
• 176 Questions of foreign law to be decided by judge  

Division 4.6.4--Procedures for proving other matters

• 177 Certificates of expert evidence  
• 178 Convictions, acquittals and other judicial proceedings  
• 179 Proof of identity of convicted people—affidavits by members of State or  
• 180 Proof of identity of convicted people—affidavits by members of Australian  
• 181 Proof of service of statutory notifications, notices, orders and  

CHAPTER 5--MISCELLANEOUS

• 182 Application of certain sections in relation to Commonwealth records  
• 183 Inferences  
• 184 Accused may admit matters and give consents  
• 185 Faith and credit to be given to documents properly authenticated  
• 186 Swearing of affidavits before justices of the peace, notaries public and  
• 187 No privilege against self-incrimination for bodies corporate  
• 188 Impounding documents  
• 189 The voir dire  
• 190 Waiver of rules of evidence  
• 191 Agreements as to facts  
• 192 Leave, permission or direction may be given on conditions  
• 192A Advance rulings and findings  
• 193 Additional powers  
• 194 Witnesses failing to attend proceedings  
• 195 Prohibited question not to be published  
• 196 Proceedings for offences  
• 197 Regulation-making power  
• SCHEDULE 1
DICTIONARY ENDNOTES