Corroborating evidence, also referred to as corroboration, is a type of evidence in law.

Types and uses

Corroborating evidence tends to support a proposition that is already supported by some initial evidence, therefore confirming the proposition. For example, W, a witness, testifies that she saw X drive his automobile into a green car. Meanwhile, Y, another witness, testifies that when he examined X's car, later that day, he noticed green paint on its fender. There can also be corroborating evidence related to a certain source, such as what makes an author think a certain way due to the evidence that was supplied by witnesses or objects.For more information on this type of reasoning, see:

Casuistry In ethics, casuistry ( ) is a process of reasoning that seeks to resolve moral problems by extracting or extending theoretical rules from a particular case, and reapplying those rules to new instances. This method occurs in applied ethics and ju ...

. Another type of corroborating evidence comes from using the

Baconian method The Baconian method is the investigative method developed by Sir Francis Bacon, one of the founders of modern science, and thus a first formulation of a modern scientific method. The method was put forward in Bacon's book ''Novum Organum'' (1620), ...

, i.e., the

method of agreement Mill's Methods are five methods of induction described by philosopher John Stuart Mill in his 1843 book ''A System of Logic''. They are intended to illuminate issues of causation. The methods Direct method of agreement For a property to be a ...

, method of difference, and

method of concomitant variations Mill's Methods are five methods of induction described by philosopher John Stuart Mill in his 1843 book ''A System of Logic''. They are intended to illuminate issues of causation. The methods Direct method of agreement For a property to be a ...

. These methods are followed in

experimental design The design of experiments (DOE, DOX, or experimental design) is the design of any task that aims to describe and explain the variation of information under conditions that are hypothesized to reflect the variation. The term is generally associ ...

. They were codified by

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

, and developed further by

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...

and consist of controlling several variables, in turn, to establish which variables are causally connected. These principles are widely used intuitively in various kinds of proofs, demonstrations, and investigations, in addition to being fundamental to experimental design. In law, corroboration refers to the requirement in some jurisdictions, such as in

Scots law Scots law () is the legal system of Scotland. It is a hybrid or mixed legal system containing civil law and common law elements, that traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. Together with English law and Northern Ireland l ...

, that any evidence adduced be backed up by at least one other source (see

Corroboration in Scots law The importance of corroboration is unique to Scots criminal law. A long-standing feature of Scots law, the requirement for corroborating evidence means at least two independent sources of evidence are required in support of each crucial fact bef ...

An example of corroboration

Defendant says, "It was like what he/she (a witness) said but...". This is Corroborative evidence from the defendant that the evidence the witness gave is true and correct. Corroboration is not needed in certain instances. For example, there are certain statutory exceptions. In the

Education (Scotland) Act Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...

, it is only necessary to produce a register as proof of lack of attendance. No further evidence is needed.

England and Wales

Perjury See section 13 of the

Perjury Act 1911 The Perjury Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo 5 c 6) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates the offence of perjury and a number of similar offences. This Act has effect as if section 89 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 and section 80 o ...

. Speeding offences See section 89(2) of the

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, which provided powers to regulate or restrict traffic on UK roads, in the interest of safety. It superseded some earlier legislation, including the majority of ...

. Sexual offences See section 32 of the

Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c.33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It introduced a number of changes to the law, most notably in the restriction and reduction of existing rights, clamping down on unlicensed r ...

. Confessions by mentally handicapped persons See section 77 of the

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) (1984 c. 60) is an Act of Parliament which instituted a legislative framework for the powers of police officers in England and Wales to combat crime, and provided codes of practice for the exercise ...

. Evidence of children See section 34 of the

Criminal Justice Act 1988 The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (c 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Title The title of this Act is: Unduly lenient sentences In England and Wales, the Act granted the Attorney General the power to refer sentences for c ...

. Evidence of accomplices See section 32 of the

Notes

References

* Plutchik, Robert (1983), ''Foundations of Experimental Research'', Harper's Experimental Psychology Series. Evidence law Philosophy of science {{science-philo-stub

Types and uses

An example of corroboration

England and Wales

See also

Notes

References