BAILII is celebrating 24 years of free online access to the law! Would you consider making a contribution?

No donation is too small. If every visitor before 31 December gives just £5, it will have a significant impact on BAILII's ability to continue providing free access to the law.
Thank you very much for your support!



BAILII [Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]

Scottish Court of Session Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Scottish Court of Session Decisions >> Lawson v. Ferguson [1866] ScotLR 2_69 (6 June 1866)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1866/02SLR0069.html
Cite as: [1866] ScotLR 2_69, [1866] SLR 2_69

[New search] [Printable PDF version] [Help]


SCOTTISH_SLR_Court_of_Session

Page: 69

Court of Session Inner House First Division.

Jury Trial.

(Before Lord Kinloch)

2 SLR 69

Lawson

v.

Ferguson.

Subject_1Proof.

Facts:

In a trial of an action for breach of promise of marriage, held (per Lord Kinloch) that a party could not ask a witness what he had been told by himself on a particular occasion.

Headnote:

In this case the following issue was sent to trial:—

“Whether, in or about the month of December 1865, the defender promised and engaged to marry the pursuer; and whether the defender has wrongfully failed to implement the said promise and engagement, to the loss, injury, and damage of the pursuer?”

Damages laid at £1000.

In the course of the evidence it was proposed by the counsel for the defender to ask one of his own witnesses what the defender had said to him on a particular occasion.

Judgment:

Millar for the pursuer ( Burnet with him) objected that the question was incompetent.

Gifford, for the defender ( Mair with him), urged that as the defender was not a competent witness in a breach of promise of marriage case, the evidence proposed should be allowed.

Lord Kinloch sustained the objection.

The jury, after an absence of three hours, returned a unanimous verdict for the pursuer; and by a majority of 9 to 3 assessed the damages at £50.

Solicitors: Agent for Pursuer— W. S. Stuart, S.S.C.

Agent for Defender— W. Officer, S.S.C.

1866


BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1866/02SLR0069.html