RULE 130

SECTION 1

Object as evidence- object as evidence are those addressed to the senses of the court. When an
object is relevant to the fact in issue, it may be exhibited to, examined or viewed by the cout.

What is object of evidence?

 Object evidence is that which is addressed to the sense of the tribunal, as where objects
are presented for the inspection of the court.
How is object classified?
 Object evidence may consist of articles or persons, which may be exhibited inside or
outside the courtroom; it may also consist in the mere inspection of an object; or in an
experiment.
What is the scope of object evidence?
 Object evidence is not limited to that which may be known by the sense of vision.
 It extends to what is perceived by the senses of hearing, taste, smell or touch.

Distinguish object evidence from demonstrative evidence.

 Object evidence is a tangible object that played some actual role in the matter that gave
rise to the litigation.
 Demonstrative evidence, by contrast, is tangible evidence that merely illustrates a matter
of importance in the litigation. (maps, diagrams, models, summaries and other materials
created especially for the litigation).

What is the reason for the admissibility of object evidence

 The evidence of ones own senses, furnishes the strongest probability and indeed the only
perfect and indubitable certainty of the existence of any sensible fact.
 Physical evidence is evidence of the highest order. It speaks more eloquently than a
hundred witnesses.

What are the requisites for the admissibility of object evidence?

 The object must be relevat to the fact in issue.
  The object must be authenticated before it is admitted. Authentication normally consists
of showing that the object is the object that was involved in the underlying event.

“CHAIN OF CUSTODY” method of authentication requires that every “link” in the chain of custody-
-- every person who handled or possessed the object since it was first recognized as being relevant
to the case, must explain what he did with it.