NOT EVIDENCE
OPINIONS OF WITNESSES
MR. JUSTICE BLAIR'S COMMENT
In a judgment regarding a motor .accident case delivered in Christchurch. this week, Mr. Justice Blair commented upon the introduction of the opinions of witnesses as to causes .of accidents. Such opinions, ho said, are not evidence. "In passing it must be observed that evidence of that kind which is commonly admitted in motor cases is not the kind of evidence that should be admitted," said Mr. Justice Blair. "The witness is really invited to usurp the function of the Court. A witness has no right to say that the accident was caused by tho negligence of one or other of the parties, or that one or other of the parties had the last ' opportunity. Those .matters are peculiarly the.duty of the Court to decide. All the witness should be asked to do is to give the facts, not the witness's conclusions or. deductions from,tho facts as he! or she believes them to be. Several of the matters touched upon :in crossexamination of the plaintiff were not facts, but mero deductions from the facts or alleged facts and as such not evidence at all." ■.•".■..
The preparation of city rate detnands ig well ahead, and it is expected that 'they;, will be issued about the middle of this" month. .
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1933, Page 17
Word Count
217NOT EVIDENCE Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1933, Page 17
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