Corroboration rules in the law of evidence - should the caribbean jurisdictions continue to hold on to them?

• Author: Andy Darkob
• Position: LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M., Barrister; Lecturer, Cayman islands Law School
• Pages: 501-514

CORROBORATIONRULESINTHELAWOFEVIDENCE-

SHOULDTHECARIBBEANJURISDICTIONSCONTINUE

TOHOLDONTOTHEM?

AndyDarkob*

Introduction

InmypreviousarticlesintheCaribbeanLawReview1andThe

Lawyer,Iargueforchildwitnessestobepresumedcompetentto

testify,therebyremovinganytestofcompetencyconductedbya

judge,beforereceivingthechildwitness’stestimony.If, inthecourse

ofanysuchtestimony,itbecomesobviousthatthechildwitnessis

not makingsense,thejudgemayexercisehiscommonlawpower

(applicableinrelationtoallwitnesses)tostopthechildwitnessorask

thejurytodisregardtheevidence.

In childabusecases,itisonerousenoughfortheprosecutionto

striveforcorroborationevidencetosupporttheevidenceofthe

complainant.Theburdenbecomesalmostimpossiblewhen

corroborationisrequiredforthemerefactthatthewitnessisachild,

andthechildadditionallyhastogothroughatestofcompetencyto

showthatshehassufficientintelligencetojustifyherevidencebeing

received.

Thecorroborationrulesasinheritedinthecommonlaw

jurisdictionwerecreatedoverthecenturiesinEnglandincasessuch

LL.B. (Hons.),LL.M.,Barrister;Lecturer, Cayman islandsLawSchool.

SeeAndy Darkoh, ‘"Children’s Evidence-MakingaCasefortheAdoptionof

theEnglishCriminal Justice ActsinCaribbean Jurisdictions,”(1994)4

Carib.1.ft448

501