The course covers a wide range of topics generally dealing with the use of evidence in civil and criminal proceedings. In particular, it is concerned with such things as: the sources of the law of evidence in PNG; the basis for the common law rules of evidence in the adversarial system of justice; the different kinds of evidence used to establish facts in courts; the ways in which evidence is taken in Court by way of examination in chief, cross-examination, re-examination, and includes discussions on the use of documentary and affidavit evidence; the rules as to competence and compellability of witnesses; the burden of proof, the standard of proof and the needs for corroboration, accomplice evidence, privilege evidence and public interest immunity, spouse evidence and exclusionary rules.
Contact hours: 4 hours per week.