The Evidence Act 1977 (Qld) is the State's general framework for the law of evidence in Queensland courts and tribunals. It binds the Crown (section 2) and runs across Parts 1 to 9, covering preliminary definitions, miscellaneous evidence rules, requesting and giving evidence between Queensland and other jurisdictions, judicial notice and proof of public documents, evidence by affidavit, hearsay and documentary evidence, reproductions and electronic records, savings, transitional provisions, and amendment housekeeping.
Part 2 holds the core witness rules: who can be a witness (sections 6 to 8), competency (sections 9, 9A, 9B), expert evidence about a witness's ability to give evidence (section 9C), principles for child witnesses (section 9E), privilege against self-incrimination (section 10), abolition of certain privileges (section 14), the protected counselling communication regime (sections 14A onwards), and the special and protected witness regimes that govern the way evidence may be given (sections 21A to 21S).
Part 3 governs requests to take evidence between Queensland courts and corresponding courts in prescribed countries, foreign authorities, audiovisual links, and witnesses outside Queensland or Australia (sections 22 to 39Z).
Part 5 deals with judicial notice and proof of public documents, statutes, gazettes, signatures of office holders, business records, books of account, and registers (sections 41 to 91).
Part 6 is the main hearsay and documentary evidence regime: section 92 governs admissibility of documentary evidence as to facts in issue; section 93 governs admissibility in criminal proceedings; section 93A governs statements made before a proceeding by a child or person with an impairment of the mind, with offences for unauthorised dealings with section 93A statements (sections 93AA to 93AC); section 93B governs admissibility of representations where the maker is unavailable; section 94A governs admissibility of preliminary complaints in sexual offences and domestic violence matters. Discretions to reject and to withhold a statement from the jury sit in sections 98 and 99.