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EVIDENCE (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) ACT 2011

Table of Provisions

CHAPTER 1--PRELIMINARY MATTERS

PART 1.1--FORMAL MATTERS

  • 1 Short title  
  • 2 Commencement  
  • 2A Object of Act  
  • 3 Definitions  

PART 1.2--APPLICATION OF ACT

  • 4 Courts and proceedings to which Act applies  
  • 5 Extended application of certain provisions  
  • 6 Territories  
  • 7 Act binds Crown  
  • 8 Operation of Acts  
  • 8A Application of Criminal Code  
  • 9 Application of common law and equity  
  • 10 Parliamentary privilege preserved  
  • 10A Application of section 127A  
  • 11 General powers of a court  

CHAPTER 2--ADDUCING EVIDENCE INTRODUCTORY

PART 2.1--WITNESSES

Division 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 spouses and others in criminal proceedings generally  
  • 19 Compellability of spouses and others in certain criminal proceedings  
  • 20 Comment on failure to give evidence  

Division 2--Oaths

  • 21 Evidence of witnesses to be on oath  
  • 22 Interpreters to act on oath  
  • 23 Choice of oath or affirmation  
  • 24 Requirements for oaths  
  • 25 Rights to make unsworn statements unaffected  

Division 3--General rules about giving evidence

  • 26 Court's control over questioning of witness  
  • 27 Parties may question witnesses  
  • 28 Order of examination in chief, cross-examination and re-examination  
  • 29 Manner and form of questioning witnesses and their responses  
  • 30 Interpreter  
  • 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 4--Examination in chief and re-examination

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

Division 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 persons  
  • 45 Production of documents  
  • 46 Leave to recall witnesses  

PART 2.2--DOCUMENTS

  • 47 Definitions  
  • 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 Adducing of other evidence not affected  
  • 53 Views  
  • 54 Views to be evidence  

CHAPTER 3--ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCEINTRODUCTORY

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 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 dependant on competency  

Division 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 available  

Division 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--ADMISSIONSNOTE FOR PART

  • 81 Hearsay and opinion rules – exception for admissions and related representations  
  • 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 conduct  
  • 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  
  • 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 offences  
  • 98 The coincidence rule  
  • 99 Requirements for notices  
  • 100 Court may dispense with notice requirements  
  • 101 Further restrictions on tendency evidence and coincidence evidence adduced by prosecution  

PART 3.7--CREDIBILITY

Division 1--Credibility evidence

  • 101A Credibility evidence  

Division 2--Credibility of witnesses

  • 102 The credibility rule  
  • 103 Exception – cross-examination as to credibility  
  • 104 Further protections – cross-examination as to credibility  
  • 105 Further protections – defendants making unsworn statements  
  • 106 Exception – rebutting denials by other evidence  
  • 107 Exception – application of certain provisions to makers of representations  
  • 108 Exception – re-establishing credibility  

Division 3--Credibility of persons who are not witnesses

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

Division 4--Persons with specialised knowledge

  • 108C Exception – evidence of persons with specialised knowledge  

PART 3.8--CHARACTER

  • 109 Application  
  • 110 Evidence about character of accused persons  
  • 111 Evidence about character of co-accused  
  • 112 Leave required to cross-examine about character of accused or co-accused  

PART 3.9--IDENTIFICATION EVIDENCENOTE FOR

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

PART 3.10--PRIVILEGES

Division 1--Client legal privilege

  • 117 Definitions  
  • 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 documents  

Division 1A--Professional confidential relationship privilegeNote for Part 3.10, Division

Division 2--Other privileges

  • 127 Religious confessions  
  • 127A Journalist privilege  
  • 128 Privilege in respect of self-incrimination in other proceedings  
  • 128A Privilege in respect of self-incrimination – exception for certain orders etc.  

Division 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 4--General

  • 131A Application of Division 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 adduced 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 persons  

CHAPTER 4--PROOFINTRODUCTORY

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 1--General

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

Division 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 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 1--Requests to produce documents or call witnessesNote for Part 4.6, Division

  • 166 Definition of request  
  • 167 Requests may be made about certain matters  
  • 168 Time limits for making certain requests  
  • 169 Failure or refusal to comply with requests  

Division 2--Proof of certain matters by affidavits or written statementsNote for Part 4.6, Division

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

Division 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--Procedures for proving other matters

  • 177 Certificates of expert evidence  
  • 178 Convictions, acquittals and other judicial proceedings  
  • 179 Proof of identity of convicted persons – affidavits by members of State or Territory police forces  
  • 180 Proof of identity of convicted persons – affidavits by members of Australian Federal Police  
  • 181 Proof of service of statutory notifications, notices, orders and directions  

CHAPTER 5--MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

  • 182 Application of certain sections in relation to Commonwealth records  
  • 183 Inferences  
  • 184 Accused may admit matters and give consents  
  • 185 Full faith and credit to be given to documents properly authenticated  
  • 186 Swearing of affidavits  
  • 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 terms  
  • 192A Advance rulings and findings  
  • 193 Additional powers  
  • 194 Witnesses failing to attend proceedings  
  • 195 Prohibited question not to be published  
  • 197 Regulations  

CHAPTER 6--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR EVIDENCE (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) ACT 2011

  • 198 Definitions  
  • 199 Application of this Act on commencement day  
  • 200 Application of section 128A  
  • 201 Application of Part 3.10 to disclosure requirements  
  • 202 Identifications already carried out  
  • 203 Documents and evidence produced before commencement day by processes, machines and other devices  
  • 204 Documents attested and verified before commencement day  
  • 205 Matters of official record published before commencement day  
  • 206 Agreed facts  
  • 207 Application of Act to improperly or illegally obtained evidence  
  • 208 Notification provisions  
  • 209 Notice of intention to adduce hearsay evidence  
  • 210 Notice of intention to adduce evidence as to tendency or coincidence  
  • 211 Time limits for making requests  
  • 212 Requests under section 173  

CHAPTER 7--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR EVIDENCE (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) AMENDMENT ACT 2013

  • 214 Definitions  
  • 215 Ongoing proceedings  

CHAPTER 8--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR EVIDENCE (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) AMENDMENT (JOURNALIST PRIVILEGE) ACT 2018

CHAPTER 9--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES REGISTRATION AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 2018

CHAPTER 10--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR EVIDENCE (NATIONAL UNIFORM LEGISLATION) AMENDMENT ACT 2021

CHAPTER 11--TRANSITIONAL MATTERS FOR JUSTICE LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE) ACT 2023

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