Tasmanian Numbered Acts

EVIDENCE ACT 2001 (NO. 76 OF 2001) - SECT 89

89. Evidence of silence

      (1) In a criminal proceeding, an inference unfavourable to a party must not be drawn from evidence that the party or another person failed or refused –

(a) to answer one or more questions; or

(b) to respond to a representation –

      (2) Evidence of that kind is not admissible if it can only be used to draw such an inference.

      (3) Subsection (1) does not prevent use of the evidence to prove that the party or other person failed or refused to answer the question or to respond to the representation if the failure or refusal is a fact in issue in the proceeding.

      (4) In this section,

"inference" includes –

(a) an inference of consciousness of guilt; or

(b) an inference relevant to a party's credibility.