Evidence Act · Chapter X · Of the examination of witnesses
Evidence Act section 137, “Examination-in-chief”, is now BSA section 142 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024.
Now BSA section 142, “Examination of witnesses”, with the same definitions of examination-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination.
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
The examination of witness by the party who calls him shall be called his examination-in-chief.
Cross-examination. –– The examination of a witness by the adverse party shall be called his cross-examination.
Re-examination. ––The examination of a witness, subsequent to the cross-examination by the party who called him, shall be called his re-examination.
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
(1) The examination of a witness by the party who calls him shall be called his examination-in-chief.
(2) The examination of a witness by the adverse party shall be called his cross-examination.
(3) The examination of a witness, subsequent to the cross-examination, by the party who called him, shall be called his re-examination.
The texts are India Code’s. The amendment markers and footnotes of the official print are left out, so the old section reads as it stood when it was repealed. The PDFs linked below carry the full history.
The BSA repealed the Indian Evidence Act from 1 July 2024 (section 170(1)). Any application, trial, inquiry, investigation, proceeding or appeal pending immediately before that date is dealt with under the Evidence Act as it then stood, as if the BSA had not come into force (section 170(2)).
