Examination-in-Chief
The first questioning of a witness by the party who called them, as distinct from cross-examination by the opposing party. Also referred to in the Civil Procedure Rules as 'evidence in chief'.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
The Civil Procedure Rules' glossary defines the civil-proceedings equivalent of this concept, 'evidence in chief', as '(and see ‘Cross-examination’) The evidence given by a witness for the party who called him.' The cross-reference is deliberate: the glossary defines cross-examination as questioning 'by a party other than the party who called the witness', so the two terms are defined as opposites of each other within the same set of rules.
In criminal practice the same idea is described using the term examination-in-chief, and prosecutors are expected to prepare witnesses for it carefully. CPS guidance on handling witnesses notes that a witness's own statement can contain material that should not simply be repeated in the witness box, warning that 'awareness of prejudicial material will reduce the chances of the witness inadvertently referring to it or being confused or surprised when the matters are not mentioned in examination-in-chief.'
Related terms
Official sources
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