WELCOME TO SINGHAL AJAY & ASSOCIATES

66. Admissibility of statements in evidence

(1) if any person is charged with an offence under this Act or its subsidiary legislation, any statement, whether the statement amounts to a confession or not or whether it is oral or in writing, made at any time, whether before or after the person is arrested and whether in the course of an investigation under this Act or not and whether or not wholly or partly in answer to questions, by that person to or in the hearing of the Registrar or other person, shall be admissible in evidence at his trial and, if the person charged tenders himself as witness, any such statement may be used in cross-examination and for the purpose of impeaching his credit.

(2) No statement under subsection (1) shall be admissible or used-

   (a) if the making of the statement appears to the court to have been caused by an inducement, threat or promise having reference to the charge against such person proceeding from a person in authority and sufficient in the opinion of the court to give the person charged grounds which would appear to him reasonable for supposing that by making it he would gain any advantage or avoid any evil of a temporal nature in reference to the proceedings against him; or

   (b) in the case of a statement made by the person after his arrest, unless the court is satisfied that he was cautioned in the following words or words to the like effect: "it is my duty to warn you that you are not obliged to say anything or to answer any question, but anything you say, whether in answer to a question or not, may be given in evidence.".

(3) A statement made by a person before there is time to caution him shall not be rendered inadmissible in evidence merely by reason of his not having been cautioned if he is cautioned as soon as possible after that.

(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any written law, a person accused of an offence to which subsection (1) applies shall not be bound to answer any questions relating to the case after any caution as referred to in paragraph (2)(b) has been administered to him.