DENMAN’S ACT

Denman’s Act.Hist. 1.The (English) Evidence Act of 1843, providing that no person offered

as  a  witness  can  be  excluded  because  of  incapacity  due  to  a  past  crime  or  an  interest  in  the

proceedings.  —  Also  termed  Lord  Denman’s  Act.  2.  The  (English)  Criminal  Procedure  Act  of

1865  that  allowed  defense  counsel  to  sum  up  evidence  as  allowed  in  a  civil  trial,  to  prove

contradictory  statements  of  an  adverse  witness,  to  prove  a  previous  criminal  conviction  of  an

adverse witness, and to compare disputed handwriting. — Also termed Mr. Denman’s Act. [Blacks Law 8th]