THE EVOLUTION AND CHALLENGES OF DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE IN THE LENS OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The goal of this research is to show the various components of documentary evidence in the context of legal precedents." The criminal trial begins with the formation of the charge and finishes with the announcement of the verdict. If the defendant enters a not guilty plea after the charge is read to him and his plea is recorded, the prosecution will be compelled to prove its case by presenting evidence. Witness examination, cross-examination, and sometimes even re-examination are all part of the evidentiary process. Oral and documentary evidence are the two sorts of evidence. The accuser's plea is recorded again once the prosecution's case is done, and he is given the opportunity to reject the claim by presenting oral and documentary evidence as well as cross-examining himself as a witness. The parties' arguments are then heard, and the decision is announced. This article is confined to a look at documentary evidence and the mechanisms for getting documents into a criminal trial on the record. The debate has gained a lot of traction because various current technologies have come to light that speaks of their creating evidence. Despite the fact that Pakistan's statute, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, was enacted in 1898 and 113 years have passed, very few amendments have been made. Is this sufficient, or do you believe you'll require more? Whether he is the complainant in a private complaint or the State Court in this case, what is the prosecutor's function with respect to the accused, the PWs, DWs, and CWs? What criteria and acid tests are used to determine whether a document becomes part of the public record, and under what legal provisions? The use of criminal procedure and evidence as a mechanism for protecting substantive rights and thus providing access to justice has been quoted with full references in order to inform researchers at all levels about the use of criminal procedure and evidence as a mechanism for protecting substantive rights and thus providing access to justice.

Keywords: Documentary Evidence; Civil cases, Criminal cases, Rulings.