The Principles of the Law of Evidence - With Elementary Rules for Conducting the Examination and Cross-Examination of Witnesses #245152

In the fifth of the nine years which have elapsed since the publication of the eighth edition of this work the Criminal Evidence Act, 1898, received the Royal Assent. The Act had been led up to here by a long series of statutes (see p. 515), allowing accused persons to testify on their own behalf. Many British Colonies had passed general Acts to a similar effect, as also in earlier times had all the United States America; so that there has been no lack of light upon this branch of the law of evidence. It was thought better, however, to wait some little time after 1898 before coming forward with a new edition. The new Act has been carefully summarized and commented on in the 11th Chapter of the Second Part of the Third Book, and its text is printed in full in an Appendix.