History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.270

v4.c63.270

⁴⁸⁵ Vide Best on 'Evidence' (12th ed. of 1922) p. 515: 'The Mosaic law in some cases and the Civilians and Canonists in all exacted the evidence of more than one witness, a doctrine adopted by most nations in Europe and by the ecclesiastical and some other tribunals among us'. According to the Common Law of England and the Indian Evidence Act (I of 1872) sec. 134, no particular number of witnesses shall in any case be required for the proof of any fact. Best (*ibid.* p. 520) notices that in prosecutions for perjury the testimony of at least two witnesses is required by the Common Law of England (now confirmed by Statute) and that by Statute two witnesses at least are required in trials for treason. Vide *Emperor v. Bal Gangadhar Tilak* 6 Bom. L. R. 324 where the rule about two witnesses in convictions for perjury according to the Common Law of England was relied on.