Uniform Evidence Resources

Commentary and materials 

Uniform Evidence Manual – produced by the Judicial College of Victoria

The Uniform Evidence Manual is divided into Parts, following the structure of the Evidence Act 2008 with all major topics covered, including competence, witnesses, relevance, hearsay, opinion, tendency and coincidence, privileges, discretions and warnings.

Note – This manual is currently undergoing a major update, as some material is out of date.

Pocket Evidence Law – produced by Justice Christopher Beale, Supreme Court of Victoria

The Pocket Evidence Law succinctly summarises key principles from the Evidence Act 2008 and is regularly updated with the latest cases by appellate courts.

Key Principles guides 

Our Key Principles guides are designed to assist judicial officers better understand the operation, and application, of the following Evidence Act 2008 (Vic) provisions.

• Competence and compellability (Sections 12, 13, 14 and 18)
• Unfavourable witnesses (Section 38)
• Improper questions (Section 41)
• First-hand hearsay (Sections 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 66A and 67)
• Exclusion of improperly or illegally obtained evidence (Section 138)

Case notes

• Tendency evidence and multiple complainants - Hughes v The Queen [2017] HCA 20 
• Tendency evidence in sexual assault cases - R v Bauer [2018] HCA 40 
• Admissibility of accoutrements of drug trafficking - R v Falzon [2018] HCA 29 
• Cross-examining children - Roger Ward (A Pseudonym) v The Queen [2017] VSCA 37 

Quizzes

These knowledge tests will assist your understanding of key aspects of the Evidence Act 2008, including relevance, hearsay, opinion and discretionary exclusion of evidence.

• Evidence Knowledge Test No 1
• Evidence Knowledge Test No 2
• Evidence Knowledge Test No 3

Flowcharts

• Admissibility of Evidence
• Hearsay Overview
• Hearsay in Civil Proceedings
• Hearsay in Criminal Proceedings
• Opinion
• Opinion Evidence 
• Admissions
• Tendency
• Coincidence
• Credibility Evidence
• Identification Evidence - Visual
• Identification Evidence - Picture
• Client Legal Privilege
• Privilege Against Self-incrimination

Further reading

Resources from the Australian, NSW and Victorian Law Reform Commissions

• ALRC, Evidence (Interim), Report 26, 1985 (ALRC Report 26)
• ALRC, Evidence (Final), Report 38, 1987 (ALRC Report 38)
• ALRC, NSWLRC and VLRC, Review of the Evidence Act 1995, ALRC Discussion Paper 69, NSWLRC Discussion Paper 47 and VLRC Discussion Paper (2005) (Joint Discussion Paper)
• ALRC, NSWLRC and VLRC, Uniform Evidence Law, ALRC Report 102, NSWLRC Report 112 and VLRC Final Report (2005) (Joint Report)