Who is an Interested Witness?
An Interested Witness is a person who testifies in a legal proceeding and has a personal stake in the outcome of the case. This interest may be financial, personal, or otherwise such that the witness stands to gain or lose depending on the verdict or decision.
Characteristics of an Interested Witness:
Personal Interest: They may benefit or suffer harm from the outcome of the case.
Biased Testimony: Because of their interest, their testimony may be viewed as potentially biased or less credible.
Examples:
A plaintiff or defendant in a civil case.
A beneficiary under a will testifying about its validity.
A person involved in a contract dispute giving evidence about the agreement.
Legal Implications:
Courts may scrutinize their testimony more carefully than that of a disinterested (neutral) witness.
Their testimony may require corroboration, especially in cases where no independent evidence supports it.
In some jurisdictions or legal contexts, rules of evidence might limit or discredit testimony from an interested witness unless corroborated.
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