Testimony, Witnesses and Credibility

Testimony is a formal report offered to establish a disputed fact. Credibility involves competence, reliability, possible bias and whether the witness directly perceived the event. Students should distinguish eyewitness knowledge from hearsay and a witness's conclusion from what was actually observed. Classical fiqh discusses qualifications and numbers of witnesses differently across legal contexts; a rule from one category must not be exported indiscriminately to another. Digital recordings and records introduce further questions about authenticity, alteration and chain of custody.