Exclusion of oral evidence through documentary evidence is the main topic of Chapter 6 of Pakistan’s Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984 (Law of Evidence), which covers Articles 102 to 110. This chapter explains how Oral evidence can be rejected when documentary evidence exists.
Have you ever wondered why it is important to verify evidence in court? Documentary evidence gains importance due to its reliability, unlike oral evidence which may suffer from memory lapses or biases.
This chapter helps us understand how to present evidence in court. When we present documentary evidence, it is important that they are complete and authentic. In this way, we can strengthen our case base.
short summary of The Exclusion of Oral by Documentary Evidence
پاکستان کے قانون شہادت آرڈر کا چیپٹر 6، جو آرٹیکل 102 سے 110 تک پھیلا ہوا ہے، زبانی شہادت( اورل ایویڈینس) کی دستاویزی شہادت (ڈاکومینٹری ایویڈینس) کے ذریعے خارج ہونے کے اصولوں پر مرکوز ہے۔ اس باب میں وضاحت کی گئی ہے کہ جب دستاویزی شہادت موجود ہو تو زبانی شہادت کو کیسے مسترد کیا جا سکتا ہے۔
QSO Chapter 6 Highlights in table:
Explore the detailed table from Chapter 6 of the QSO on key points about excluding oral evidence with documentary evidence, in Urdu.
| Article Number | Title | key points |
|---|---|---|
| Article 102 | Evidence of terms of contracts, grants and other disposition of property reduced to form of document | جب معاہدے، گرانٹ، یا کسی اور ملکیت کی منتقلی کو دستاویزی شکل دی گئی ہو، تو اس کے شرائط کا ثبوت صرف دستاویز یا اس کے مواد کی سیکنڈری شہادت سے دیا جائے گا۔ عوامی افسران کی تقرری کو تحریری طور پر ثابت کرنا ضروری نہیں۔ |
| Article 103 | Exclusion of evidence of oral agreement | جب دستاویز کے شرائط ثابت ہو چکے ہوں تو فریقین کے درمیان کسی زبانی معاہدے یا بیان کا ثبوت قبول نہیں کیا جائے گا تاکہ ان شرائط کو بدلنے یا شامل کرنے کی کوشش کی جا سکے۔ مخصوص حالات میں زبانی معاہدہ ثابت کیا جا سکتا ہے۔ |
| Article 104 | Exclusion of evidence against application of document to existing facts | اگر دستاویز میں استعمال کی گئی زبان واضح ہو اور موجودہ حقائق پر درست لاگو ہو، تو اس بات کا ثبوت نہیں دیا جا سکتا کہ اس کا مطلب ان حقائق پر لاگو نہیں ہوتا۔ |
| Article 105 | Evidence as to document unmeaning in reference to existing facts | جب دستاویز کی زبان خود واضح ہو لیکن موجودہ حقائق کے حوالے سے بے معنی ہو، تو یہ دکھانے کے لیے ثبوت دیے جا سکتے ہیں کہ اسے کسی خاص معنی میں استعمال کیا گیا تھا۔ |
| Article 106 | Evidence as to application of language which can apply to one only of several persons | جب حقائق ایسے ہوں کہ دستاویز کی زبان کو کئی لوگوں یا چیزوں میں سے کسی ایک پر لاگو کیا جا سکتا ہو، تو ایسے حقائق کا ثبوت دیا جا سکتا ہے جو یہ دکھائیں کہ اسے کس شخص یا چیز پر لاگو کرنا مقصود تھا۔ |
| Article 107 | Evidence as to application of language to one of two sets of facts to neither of which the whole correctly applies | جب دستاویز کی زبان کچھ حقائق پر جزوی طور پر لاگو ہو اور کچھ پر بھی، لیکن پوری طرح سے کسی پر درست لاگو نہ ہو، تو یہ دکھانے کے لیے ثبوت دیے جا سکتے ہیں کہ اسے کس پر لاگو کرنے کا ارادہ تھا۔ |
| Article 108 | Evidence as to meaning of illegible character, etc. | دستاویز میں غیر واضح یا عام فہم نہ ہونے والے حروف، غیر ملکی، پرانے، تکنیکی یا مقامی الفاظ کا معنی بیان کرنے کے لیے ثبوت دیے جا سکتے ہیں۔ |
| Article 109 | Who may give evidence of agreement varying terms of document | جو لوگ دستاویز کے فریق نہیں ہیں، یا ان کے نمائندے، معاہدے کے ساتھ ساتھ موجود معاہدے کو تبدیل کرنے والے حقائق کا ثبوت دے سکتے ہیں۔ |
| Article 110 | Saving of provisions of Succession Act relating to wills | اس باب میں کچھ بھی 1925 کے جانشینی ایکٹ(سکسیشن ایکٹ) کی وصیتوں سے متعلقہ کسی بھی حکم کو متاثر نہیں کرے گا۔ |
Article 102. Evidence of terms of contracts, grants and other disposition of property reduced to form of document
• When the terms of a
➥ Contract, or
➥ Of a grant, or
➥ Of any other disposition of property,
• Have been reduced to the form of a document,
• And in all cases in which any matter is required by law to be reduced to the form of a document,
• No evidence shall be given in proof of the
➥ Terms of such contract,
➥ Grant or
➥ Other disposition of property, or
➥ Of such matter,
• Except
➥ The document itself,
➥ Or secondary evidence of its contents
➢ In cases in which secondary evidence is admissible under the provisions hereinbefore contained.
• Exceptions
i. When
➥ A public officer is required by law to be appointed in writing, and
➥ When it is shown that any particular person has acted as such officer,
➥ The writing by which he is appointed need not be proved.
ii. Wills admitted to probate in Pakistan may be proved by the probate.
Article 103. Exclusion of evidence of oral agreement:
• When the terms of any such
➥ Contract,
➥ Grant or
➥ Other disposition of property,
➥ Or any matter required by law to be reduced to the form of a document,
• Have been proved according to the last Article,
• No evidence of any oral agreement or statement shall be admitted,
• As between the parties to any such instrument or
• Their representatives-in-interest,
• For the purpose of
➥ Contradicting,
➥ Varying,
➥ Adding to, or
➥ Subtracting from, its terms
• Exceptions:
• Any fact may be proved
➥ Which would invalidate any document, or
➥ Which would entitle any person to any decree or order relating thereto;
➥ Such as
➢ Fraud,
➢ Intimidation,
➢ Illegality,
➢ Want of due execution,
➢ Want of capacity in any contracting party,
➢ Want or failure of consideration, or
➢ Mistake in fact or law.
• The existence of any separate oral agreement
➥ As to any matter
➢ On which a document is silent, and
➢ Which is not inconsistent with its terms may be proved.
➥ In considering whether or not this proviso applies,
➢ The Court shall have regard to the degree of formality of the document.
• The existence of any separate oral agreement
➥ Constituting a condition precedent
➢ To the attaching of any obligation under any such
➢ Contract, grant or disposition of property
➥ May be proved.
• The existence of any distinct subsequent oral agreement
➥ To rescind or modify any such contract, grant, or disposition of property,
➥ May be proved,
➥ Except in cases in which
➢ Such contract, grant or disposition of property
➢ Is by law required to be in writing, or
➢ Has been registered according to the law in force for the time being As to the registration of documents.
• Any usage or custom by which
➥ Incidents not expressly mentioned in any contract
➢ Are usually annexed to contracts of that description,
➥ May be proved
➥ Provided that the annexing of such incident
➢ Would not be repugnant to, or
➢ Inconsistent with the express terms of the contract.
• Any fact may be proved which shows
➥ In what manner the language of a document is relied to existing facts.
Article 104. Exclusion of evidence against application of document to existing facts:
• When language used in a document is
➥ Plain in itself, and
➥ When it applied accurately to existing facts,
• Evidence may not be given
➥ To show that it was not meant to apply to such facts.
Article 105. Evidence as to document unmeaning in reference to existing facts
• When language used in a document
➥ Is plain in itself, but
➥ Is unmeaning in reference to existing facts,
• Evidence may be given to show that it was used in a peculiar sense
Article 106. Evidence as to application of language which can apply to one only of several persons:
• When the facts are such that
➥ The language used might have been meant to apply to any one, and
➥ Could not have been meant to apply to more than one, of several
➢ Persons or
➢ Things,
• Evidence may be given of facts which show
➥ Which of those persons or things it was intended to apply to
Article 107. Evidence as to application of language to one of two sets of facts to neither of which the whole correctly applies:
• When the language used applies
➥ Partly to one set of existing facts, and
➥ Partly to another set of existing facts,
• But the whole of it does not apply correctly to either,
• Evidence may be given to show to which of the two it was meant to apply
Article 108. Evidence as to meaning of illegible character etc.:
• Evidence may be given to show the
➥ Meaning of illegible or
➥ Not commonly intelligible characters, of
➢ Foreign,
➢ Obsolete,
➢ Technical,
➢ Local and
➢ Provincial expressions,
➥ Of abbreviation and
➥ Of words used in a peculiar sense
Article 109.Who may give evidence of agreement varying terms of document :
• Persons
➥ Who are not parties to a document, or
➥ Their representatives in interest,
• May give evidence of any facts tending to show a
➥ Contemporaneous agreement varying the terms of the document
Article 110. . Saving of provisions of Succession Act relating to wills:
- Noting shall be effect
- ➥ any provisions of the Succession Act, 1925
- ➥ relating to wills
- ➥ any provisions of the Succession Act, 1925
Mock Test of QSO Chapter 6:
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Read Also: QSO Short notes on Documentary Evidence