Previous witness testimony as immediate or urgent action and its admissibility in court
Previous witness testimony as immediate or urgent action and its admissibility in court

Summary/Abstract: The paper deals with the admissibility of witness testimony in the preliminary proceeding which could be read in court without right of the defence to hear or examine such a witness. This question is particularly interesting with regard to preserving the adversarial principle which is important for an objective assessment of the facts. The focus will be to answer the question of whether so obtained and executed evidence may stand as the main evidence of guilt especially with regard to Article 6,par. 1 and 3 (d) ECHR (right to obtain attendance and examination of witnesses). The arguments in this paper will be submitted supported by the case law of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic and the ECtHR. Contribution will also deal with British law and the applicability of the so-called Hearsay rule and the exceptions to this rule which can be applied in criminal proceedings.

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