Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2023)

• 1.   Short title

• 2.   Interpretation

• 3.   References to business

• 4.   References to examination in chief, etc.

• 5.   References to civil penalties

• 6.   Unavailability of persons

• 7.   Unavailability of documents

• 8.   Representations in documents

• 9.   Witnesses

• 10.   Courts and proceedings to which Act applies

• 11.   Parliamentary privilege

• 12.   General power of the court

• 13.   Competence and compellability

• 14.   Competence: lack of capacity

• 15.   Evidence of children

• 16.   Compellability : Governor General, etc.

• 17.   Competence and compellability : Judges and jurors

• 18.   Competence and Compellability: defendant, etc., in criminal proceedings

• 19.   Compellability of spouse, parent or child in criminal proceedings

• 20.   Compellability of spouses in civil proceedings

• 21.   Evidence of witnesses to be on oath or affirmation

• 22.   Unsworn evidence on production of document or object

• 23.   Unsworn evidence of counsel or judge

• 24.   Court to advise witnesses

• 25.   Parties may question witness

• 26.   Examination-in-chief to be completed before other questioning

• 27.   Manner and form of questioning witnesses

• 27A.   Use of Live Links

• 27B.   Directions Given by the Court

• 27C.   Effect of, and Rescission of, Direction

• 27D.   District Courts Permitted to Sit at Other Locations

• 27E.   Warning to Jury

• 27F.   Rules of Court

• 28.   Interpreters

• 29.   Giving Evidence Outside the Courtroom (Amended By Act 14 of 2011)

• 29A.   Evidence by Video Recording

• 29B.   Admission of Video Recording

• 29C.   Admissibility of measurements, fingerprints and other impressions

• 30.   Attempts to refresh memory in court

• 31.   Attempts to refresh memory out of court

• 32.   Direction not to extend to certain documents

• 33.   Effect of calling for production of documents

• 34.   Leading questions: examination-in-chief

• 35.   Hostile witnesses

• 36.   Limits on re-examination

• 37.   Witness called in error

• 38.   Improper questions

• 39.   Leading questions: cross-examination

• 40.   Prior inconsistent statements of witness

• 41.   Previous representations of other persons

• 42.   Production of documents

• 43.   Certain matters to be put to witness

• 44.   Relevant evidence

• 45.   Relevant evidence to be admissible

• 46.   Provisional relevance

• 47.   Inferences as to relevance

• 48.   Exclusion of hearsay evidence

• 49.   Restriction to “first-hand” hearsay

• 50.   Exception: civil proceedings where maker not available

• 51.   Exception: civil proceedings where maker available

• 52.   Exception: criminal proceedings where maker not available

• 53.   Exception: criminal proceedings where maker available

• 54.   Notice to be given

• 55.   Exception: documentary records

• 56.   Application of section 55

• 57.   Identification of document

• 58.   Proof of statement admitted under section 55 or 124

• 59.   Exception: expert reports

• 60.   Exception: contents of tags, labels, etc.

• 61.   Exception: telecommunications

• 62.   Exception: reputation as to certain matters

• 63.   Exception: interlocutory proceedings

• 64.   Exclusion of opinion evidence

• 65.   Exception: lay opinions

• 66.   Exception: opinions based on specialised knowledge

• 67.   Fact in issue and common knowledge rules abolished

• 68.   Interpretation: sound recording

• 69.   Hearsay and opinion rules: exception for admissions

• 70.   Exclusion of admissions influenced by violence, etc.

• 71.   Criminal proceedings: reliability of confessions by defendant

• 72.   Criminal proceedings: admissions by defendants

• 73.   Exclusion of records of oral questioning

• 74.   Admissions made with authority

• 75.   Proof of making of admission

• 76.   Evidence of silence

• 77.   Discretion to exclude confessions

• 78.   Exclusion of evidence of judgments and convictions

• 79.   Exceptions

• 80.   Savings

• 81.   Application

• 82.   Use of evidence for other purposes

• 83.   Exclusion of tendency evidence

• 84.   Exception: conduct to prove tendency

• 85.   Exclusion of evidence of conduct to prove improbability of coincidence

• 86.   Further protections: prosecution evidence of conduct of defendant

• 87.   Notice to be given

• 88.   Exception: character of defendant

• 89.   Exception: character of co-defendant

• 90.   Cross-examination of defendant by leave only

• 91.   Exclusion of evidence relevant to credibility

• 92.   Exception: character of defendant

• 93.   Exception: Cross-examination as to credibility

• 94.   Further protections: cross-examination of defendant

• 95.   Leave for cross examination of another defendant

• 96.   Exception: rebutting denials by other evidence

• 97.   Exception: application of certain provisions to maker of representations

• 98.   Exception: re-establishing credibility

• 99.   Application of Division

• 100.   Exclusion of identification evidence

• 101.   Exclusion of evidence of identification by pictures

• 102.   Directions to jury

• 103.   Interpretation

• 104.   Privilege in respect of legal advice and litigation, etc.

• 105.   Loss of client legal privilege

• 106.   Privilege in respect of confidential communications and documents

• 107.   Privilege in respect of self-incrimination in other proceedings

• 108.   Exclusion of evidence of reasons for judicial, etc. decisions

• 109.   Exclusion of evidence of matters of State

• 110.   Exclusion of evidence of settlement negotiations

• 111.   Court to inform of rights, etc.

• 112.   Court may inspect, etc. documents

• 113.   Certain evidence inadmissible

• 114.   General discretion to exclude

• 115.   Criminal proceeding discretion to exclude prejudicial evidence

• 116.   Discretion to exclude improperly obtained evidence

• 117.   Matters of law

• 118.   Matters of common knowledge, etc.

• 119.   Certain State certificates

• 120.   Interpretation

• 121.   “Best evidence” rule abolished

• 122.   Proof of contents of documents

• 123.   Documents in foreign countries

• 124.   Evidence produced by devices, processes, etc.

• 125.   Attestation of documents and bankers books

• 126.   Gazettes, etc.

• 127.   Sales and signatures

• 128.   Public documents

• 129.   Documents produced from proper custody

• 130.   Labels, etc.

• 131.   Post and telecommunications

• 132.   Civil proceedings: standard of proof

• 133.   Criminal proceedings: standard of proof

• 134.   Admissibility of evidence: standard of proof

• 135.   Corroboration requirements abolished

• 136.   Unreliable evidence

• 136A.   General admissibility

• 136B.   Scope of this part

• 136C.   AUTHENTICATION

• 136D.   Application of Best Evidence Rule

• 136E.   Presumption of Integrity

• 136F.      Admissibility of Electronic Records

• 136G.   Admissibility of Electronic Signature

• 137.   Inferences

• 138.   Proof of certain matters by affidavit, etc.

• 139.   Request to produce documents or call witnesses

• 140.   Views, etc.

• 141.   Views, etc., to be evidence

• 142.   The voir dire

• 143.   Waiver of rules of evidence

• 144.   Leave, etc., may be given on terms

• 145.   Additional powers

• 146.   Certifying false copies or extracts

• 147.   Proof of exemplifications of wills, etc. from outside Saint Lucia

• 148.   Manner of execution and proof of certain documents

• 149.   Proof of foreign documents

• 150.   Section 151 not to limit admissibility of deeds, etc.

• 151.   Comparison of a disputed writing with a genuine writing to be permitted in any trial

• 152.   Admissibility of medical certificates and reports

• 153.   Proof of written statement

• 154.   Document or object as exhibits

• 155.   Statement of wages in evidence

• 156.   Interpretation

• 157.   Notice of alibi

• 158.   Examination of witnesses upon interrogatories or otherwise

• 159.   Attendance of witnesses and production of documents

• 160.   Prisoners may be taken for examination by writ of habeas corpus

• 161.   Special reports by persons taking examination

• 162.   Costs

• 163.   Admissibility of examinations at trial

• 164.   Examination of witnesses in Saint Lucia for other countries and vice versa

• 165.   Debts to the State may be proved in the same manner

• 166.   Prohibition on publication

• 167.   Regulations

• 168.   Codes of practice

• 169.   Amendment of enactment in Schedule 3

• 170.   Discontinuance of enactment

• 171.   Transitional

• Schedule 1

• Schedule 2

• Schedule 3