Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Dumb Witness / Non-Verbal Testimony (Section 119 IEA / Section 125 BSA)
Evidentiary Rules & Proof Standards
Definition
The rule governing a witness who is unable to speak, permitting them to give evidence in any other manner in which they can make it intelligible (in writing or by signs made in open court), which is deemed to be oral evidence.
Example
In a robbery trial, a speech-impaired eyewitness identifies the accused and describes the weapon using certified sign language interpreted by an accredited sign-language expert in open court under Section 119 IEA.