Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
If any such question relates to a matter not llL'Ldc\'iLli relevant to the suit or proceeding, except in so far as it affects the credit of the witness by injuring his character, the Court shall decide whether or not, the witness shall be compelled to answer it, and may, if it thinl{s fit, ,yarn the witness that he is not obliged to ans\yer it. In exercising its discretion, the Court ::;11:111have regard to the following considerations:- (1.) Snnh questions are prop~_'if they are of such :l nature t1d.t the truth of the imputation conv~!ed 'by t, Ollc .ot:un.., . I~\':riil in 11.'.lil'" WL,,;I \IlL. n~;SG t.J L.; c\lupdkd t,) a u;; \\'Cl', q!lC:~tjLJ;l :,1:,111 be :1:;1,(:(1 :~1!:1 Whell \'1;hw/;:.:: rvn:pdJe,l t.) :\11:,\\ 1:1' .b/iiiC)i,){) l AU'I' I ',';:!:. ,;1 fluclHllenh; if such statements are in them-. .:::,h..c'"l"': !i),T vpnt i'.lcts , , ...1" "J ,'\.oo -' .'() c."., . lltU8trpation. 1 11 ,> 1 i l ' l ' 1 '~... 1, ,. ,n:1Pi1; V\~I 1'1 'n' 'l .'\ u'j CJ." i.1 ') s'~~an r.nl D -~~l, ~~'L_."") .. VU --:1,._- ~V... . ,'I 1 ,',' 1 '1 \ t D " r j "-~ t I t ' \.; (18P..)83,}:j;lalJ no ilcan: h. say '01 -' ) W1'Oe a ewr accus- ing' me of theft) and I will 'be l'r "~.nged011hirG.' 1'his statement ~::;relevant) ,tS showing A's 11lVU4'.";for the assault, and evidence l'Jl.1Ybe, given of it, though no other evidence is given about -.- 1"hr t """, -_cl,j ..v>.; vi. '. ,~ . ,~ I "', 101='). J ,.,,~. Evidence, '-- by them would seriously affect the opinion of the Court as to the credibility of the witness on the matter to which he testifies: (2.) Such questions are improper if the hnputa. tion which they convey relates to lllatters so rO111otc in time, or of such a .character, that the truth of the imputation would not affect, or would affect ill a slight degree, the opinion of the Court as to the cro~ dibility of the witness on the matter to which ho. testifies: . (3.) Such questions are improper if there. is a great disproportion between the importance of the imputation made against the witness'~ character and the importance of his evidence: (4). The Court may, if it.sees fit, draw, froln the witness's refusal to answer, the inference that the answer if given would be unfavourable.