The ‘Filiatra Legacy’: 1991

References: [1991] 2 Lloyds Reports 337
Coram: Mustill LJ
Ratio The plaintiff had put in evidence under the Civil Evidence Act a statement by a surveyor that he had checked certain cargo tanks to ensure they were empty. At a late stage in the trial the plaintiff sought to say that he had not done so in direct contradiction to the evidence which they had called.
Held: After considering how far the common law prohibited a party from asserting that evidence given in chief by a witness he has called is untruthful and the provisions of the Act, ‘In these circumstances we do not find in the case law or the legislation anything which requires us to hold that the judge had no power to treat the evidence of Captain Bellucci as otherwise than true; and not being so required, we are not ourselves willing to go so far. ‘

Last Update: 22-Mar-16
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