147. Procedure of Court in cases of defamation, libel and slander. When a person is
prosecuted or sued for making or publishing an imputation of a defamatory, libellous or
slanderous nature, the Court shall not, before it has recorded its findings on the issues
whether such person did make or publish such imputation, and whether such imputation is
true, permit any question to be put to any witness for the purpose of injuring the character of
the person in respect of whom such imputation, has or is alleged to have, been made, or any
other person, whether dead or alive, in whom he is interested, except in so far as any such
question may be necessary for the purpose of determining the truth of the imputations
alleged to have been made or published.
148. Questions intended to insult or annoy. The Court shall forbid any question which
appears to it to be intended to insult or annoy, or which though proper in itself, appears to the
Court needlessly offensive in form.
149. Exclusion of evidence to contradict answers to questions testing
veracity. When��a witness has been asked and has answered any question which is relevant to
the inquiry only in so far as it tends to shake his credit by injuring his character, no evidence
shall be given to contradict him; but, if he answers falsely, he may afterwards be charged with
giving false evidence.
Exception 1.__If a witness is asked whether he has been previously convicted of any
crime denies it, evidence may be given of his previous conviction.
Exception 2.__ If a witness is asked any question tending to impeach his impartiality and
answers it by denying the facts suggested, he may be contradicted.
Illustrations
(a) A claim against an underwriter is resisted on the ground of fraud.
The claimant is asked whether, in a former transaction, he had not made a
fraudulent claim. He denies it.
Evidence is offered to show that he did make such a claim.
The evidence is inadmissible.
(b) A witness is asked whether he was not dismissed from a situation for dishonesty.
He denies it.
Evidence is offered to show that he was dismissed for dishonesty.
The evidence is not admissible.
(c) A affirms that on a certain day he saw B at Lahore.
A is asked whether he himself was not on that day at Faisalabad. He denies it.
Evidence is offered to show that A was on that day at Faisalabad.
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