Admissibility of previous consistent statements as evidence in South African courts Dr Philani L N

The admission of previous consistent statements as evidence is premised upon restrictive qualifications. As a general rule, previous consistent statements are inadmissible, much as they represent an attempt by a witness to self-corroborate by repeating the same statement ad nauseam. Their probative value is often very limited such that their competence to sway the weight of evidence is disapppointingly weak.