Evidence Law

Abstract

This Report considers whether Western Australia should adopt uniform statutory provisions for evidence, and if so, the manner in which this might be best achieved. In 1995, a major step was taken towards uniform evidence legislation in Australia with the Commonwealth, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory enacting evidence legislation containing virtually identical provisions. These Acts provided a model which was designed to be suitable for enactment throughout Australia. The model legislation not only standardises the scope and formulation of the statutory provisions in operation in the various jurisdictions but also expands and significantly reforms the law of evidence. The Report examines the origins of the model legislation which began in 1977 with the Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs recommending that the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) review the law of evidence with a view to producing a wholly comprehensive code