By the time Bentham turned his interest to the subject, late in the eighteenth century, most components of modern evidence law had been assembled.
Topic
The evolution of evidence law, particularly Jeremy Bentham's influence on it.
Framework
Old / New
Main Point
Jeremy Bentham proposed a radical shift in evidence law, pushing for broader admissibility of evidence, and although some exclusions persist today, his ideas laid the foundation for modern evidence law. ()
P1: Historical Context of Evidence Law
Back in late 18th and 19th century, evidence law had some strange rules by today's standards, such as forbidding parties from testifying in their own cases.
P2: Nature of Evidence Exclusions
Evidence exclusions were commonplace, often for rational reasons like hearsay being unreliable, but sometimes exclusions occurred even when they should have been included.
P3: Push for Reform
Efforts to reform the complex and tradition-bound evidence law were often blocked, but Bentham proposed admitting all evidence that relates to the dispute, with few exceptions.