COMPETENCE AND COMPELLABILITY: IS CHILD EVIDENCE ADMISSIBLE

This study examines the adequacy of legal procedure for receiving a Child's testimony under the Nigeria Evidence Act. The paper notes that the vulnerability of children can have a ripple effect on their testimony. They can be easily intimidated by mean-looking counsels or loved ones. Yet, the innocence of a child makes it desirable for the court to believe such testimony. Consequent upon the above fact, it affirms the obvious that the determination of lawsuits is highly dependent on the availability of evidence. In the eyes of the law, all persons are competent witnesses, unless a person is deprived of capacity to give testimony on account of tender years, extreme old age, disease, whether of body or mind, or any other cause of the same kind. This research consists of a title page, approval page, certification, abstract, table of contents, list of abbreviations, list of cases, list of status, Chapters One to Five (from introduction to conclusion), and references.