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Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System
Witnesses play a vital role in criminal cases as they narrate to the jury of the matters they know. In our constitution, they are required to make an oath that they are telling the truth (Kenny, 2014). The number of witnesses needed is at least two, but if one witness is comprehensive enough and prove beyond reasonable doubt, then their case can be taken. The bible does not support the use of one witness as indicated in 2 Corinthians 13:1 “This will be my third visit to you.
Every matter must be established by the testimony of two to three witnesses.” This is further supported by Hebrews 10:28 and Numbers 35:30, which states that one witness is not sufficient to convict a person- a leaf that the state and federal may need to borrow from the bible (Burnside, 2011).
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The issue of cross examination is vital in each case proceeding. The scriptures Proverbs 18:13 and Proverbs 18:18 support this concept as it argues that a person that makes decisions before hearing and examining it will result to folly and shame. Cross examination of a case is supported by the constitutions, where each case presented, witnesses and evidences are cross examined before a judgement is made. This is important as it helps prevent biased judgement (Burnside, 2011).
The physical evidence is also relied upon in our new system. This could be any material that reflects that the accused actually committed the crime. This is especially for capital cases as emphasised in the scriptures. For example, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and Numbers 5:11-31, which indicates that whatever the cases, it must be related to the evidence which will ensure that execution is not done executed (Kenny, 2014).
References
Burnside, J. (2011). God, justice, and society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kenny, P. (2014). Sustainability of Restorative Justice. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
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