- cross-examination
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I
noun
asking questions, challenge, checking, cross interrogation, cross questioning, enquiry, evidence-seeking, examination, exploration, formulating questions, grilling, inquest, inquiry, inquisition, interpellation, interrogation, investigation, leading inquiry, minute examination, probe, prosecution, query, quest, questioning, reexamination, scrutiny, search, search into facts, searching inquiry, trial
associated concepts: right to cross-examine, scope of cross-examination
II
index
cross-questioning, interrogation
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- cross-examination
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n.At trial or a deposition, the examination of a witness by the party opposed to the side that produced him or her, regarding testimony already raised on direct examination and matters of witness credibility.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- cross-examination
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in court practice, the part of a case, whether civil or criminal, where evidence is elicited from the other side's witness. Thus, the defence will cross-examine the investigating police officers after the prosecutor has conducted the examination in chief. It serves two functions:(1) to test the veracity of the witness and the accuracy of the evidence;(2) to obtain evidence on points on which he has not been questioned in chief and which may support the cross-examiner's case. Failure to cross-examine on any matter generally implies acceptance of evidence on that point.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- cross-examination
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At trial, the opportunity to question any witness who testifies on behalf of any other party to the lawsuit (in civil cases) or for the prosecution or other codefendants (in criminal cases). The opportunity to cross-examine usually occurs as soon as a witness completes his or her initial testimony, called direct testimony. Cross-examiners attempt to get the witness to say something helpful to their side, or to cast doubt on the witness's testimony by eliciting something that reduces the witness's credibility — for example, that the witness's eyesight is so poor that she may not have seen an event clearly. When a witness's direct testimony ends up being hostile to the party that called the witness, sometimes that party's lawyer is allowed to cross-examine his own witness.Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- cross-examination
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The questioning of a witness or party during a trial, hearing, or deposition by the party opposing the one who asked the person to testify in order to evaluate the truth of that person's testimony, to develop the testimony further, or to accomplish any other objective.The interrogation of a witness or party by the party opposed to the one who called the witness or party, upon a subject raised during direct examination—the initial questioning of a witness or party—on the merits of that testimony.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- cross-examination
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The questioning of a witness or party during a trial, hearing, or deposition by the party opposing the one who asked the person to testify in order to evaluate the truth of that person's testimony, to develop the testimony further, or to accomplish any other objective.The interrogation of a witness or party by the party opposed to the one who called the witness or party, upon a subject raised during direct examination—the initial questioning of a witness or party—on the merits of that testimony.II The questioning of a witness produced by the other side.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- cross-examination
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n.the opportunity for the attorney (or an unrepresented party) to ask questions in court of a witness who has testified in a trial on behalf of the opposing party. The questions on cross-examination are limited to the subjects covered in the direct examination of the witness, but importantly, the attorney may ask leading questions, in which he/she is allowed to suggest answers or put words in the witness's mouth. (For example, "Isn't it true that you told Mrs. Jones she had done nothing wrong?" which is leading, as compared to "Did you say anything to Mrs. Jones?") A strong cross-examination (often called just "cross" by lawyers and judges) can force contradictions, expressions of doubts or even complete obliteration of a witness's prior carefully rehearsed testimony. On the other hand, repetition of a witness' s story, vehemently defended, can strengthen his/her credibility.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
