Hearsay, Credibility & Disclosure Under the CPIA

Introduction

The big drawback of hearsay evidence, when you are on the wrong end of it, is the limit on any direct challenge to the maker's credibility. The Court of Appeal has given recent guidance on this point which requires disclosure of matters going to that credibility by the party seeking to rely on hearsay as part of making the application to adduce the evidence.

The core focus of the webinar is the landmark decision in R v BOB. It will explore how the Court of Appeal has introduced a new and critical first stage that requires proper investigation and disclosure of material relevant to the credibility of an absent witness before a hearsay application can properly be determined.

This short webinar, aimed at both prosecution and defence, brings you up to speed with the development.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• A quick reminder of what is or isn't hearsay
• The relevant procedural rules
• What does the Court of Appeal now require?
• What should be disclosed and when?
• Attacking credibility and weight generally in the absence of the witness