Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Hostile Witness (Section 154 IEA / Section 142 BSA)
Criminal Procedure & Jurisprudence Terms
Definition
A prosecution or defense witness who unexpectedly resiles from their previous statement or shows an antagonistic attitude, permitting the party calling them to cross-examine them with the court's permission.
Example
In the Jessica Lal Murder Case, key eyewitnesses turned hostile in the witness box by claiming they could not see who fired the gun, prompting the prosecution to cross-examine their own witnesses.