Article 173 law of evidence in Pakistan

 

Article 173 of the law of evidence in Pakistan is a provision that deals with the admissibility of evidence in criminal cases. It outlines the conditions under which certain types of evidence can be presented before a court of law and the weight that should be given to such evidence.

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Under Article 173, evidence can be classified into two categories: oral evidence and documentary evidence. Oral evidence refers to statements made by witnesses during the course of a trial, while documentary evidence includes any written or recorded material that is presented as proof.

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The admissibility of oral evidence is subject to certain conditions. According to Article 173(1), oral evidence must be direct and not hearsay. Direct evidence refers to statements made by a witness who has personally witnessed the event in question, while hearsay refers to statements made by someone who heard about the event from another person. Hearsay evidence is generally considered less reliable and is often excluded from consideration.

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Furthermore, Article 173(2) states that oral evidence must be relevant to the matter at hand. This means that the evidence must have some bearing on the issues being discussed in the case. Irrelevant evidence is typically disregarded by the court.

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Documentary evidence, on the other hand, is subject to additional requirements for admissibility. According to Article 173(3), documentary evidence must be properly authenticated before it can be admitted. This means that the document must be proven to be genuine and accurate through various means, such as expert testimony or official certification.

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Additionally, Article 173(4) specifies that certain types of documents require special procedures for authentication. For example, public documents, such as government records or official certificates, are presumed to be authentic unless proven otherwise. Private documents, on the other hand, may require additional proof of authenticity.

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In terms of weightage, Article 173(5) states that the court should consider all relevant factors when evaluating the probative value of evidence. This includes the credibility of the witness, the consistency of the evidence with other facts, and any corroborating evidence that supports or contradicts the testimony.

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It is important to note that Article 173 is just one provision within the broader law of evidence in Pakistan. The law of evidence encompasses a wide range of rules and principles that govern the admissibility, presentation, and evaluation of evidence in both criminal and civil cases.

<script type="text/javascript"> atOptions = { 'key' : '27444b4d291040302da9ccc37738978f', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; document.write('<scr' + 'ipt type="text/javascript" src="http' + (location.protocol === 'https:' ? 's' : '') + '://www.profitabledisplaynetwork.com/27444b4d291040302da9ccc37738978f/invoke.js"></scr' + 'ipt>'); </script>In conclusion, Article 173 of the law of evidence in Pakistan sets out the conditions for the admissibility of oral and documentary evidence in criminal cases. It emphasizes the importance of direct and relevant evidence while also requiring proper authentication for documentary evidence. The weight given to evidence is determined by considering various factors, including witness credibility and corroborating evidence.

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