Indian Evidence Act, 1872
IEA Section 157 in BSA
Former statements of witness may be proved to corroborate. Section 157 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (Former statements of witness may be proved to corroborate) corresponds to Section 160 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
Verify before you rely on this. Renumbering under the 2023 codes is not a clean one-to-one exercise — provisions were merged, split and reworded. Always check the printed bare act.
Where this sits in the exam
This provision is examined under Evidence Act & Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, worth 8 of the 100 marks in AIBE XXII. The paper permits bare acts but bans notes, so what matters is finding it quickly, not reciting the number.
Questions that turn on this section
Permission to a party to cross-examine his own witness is granted under the provision dealing with:
Answer & explanation
Hostile witnesses
BSA Section 157 corresponds to IEA Section 154. The court may in its discretion permit the party who calls a witness to put questions that might be put in cross-examination. The evidence is not automatically effaced.
A hostile witness may be cross-examined by the party who called him:
Answer & explanation
With the permission of the court, under Section 154-equivalent powers
§ 157 BSA. Declaring a witness hostile does not make his whole testimony worthless; the court may accept part.
Sections either side of it
How the neighbouring provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 were renumbered:
| IEA | Provision | BSA |
|---|---|---|
| 151 | Indecent and scandalous questions | 152 |
| 154 | Question by party to his own witness | 157 |
| 155 | Impeaching credit of witness | 158 |
| 159 | Refreshing memory | 162 |
| 165 | Judge's power to put questions or order production | 168 |
Practise it
Cutoff has AIBE XXII questions on this area, each cited to both codes with a line telling you where to find it in the bare act. Ten questions per subject are free, no account needed.
Practise free Full IEA→BSA table