Law of Evidence Principles for South Africa Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply the rules of admissibility of evidence in criminal and civil proceedings.
• Distinguish between different types of evidence, including oral, documentary, and real evidence.
• Evaluate the weight and sufficiency of evidence in accordance with legal standards.
• Demonstrate the ability to handle evidentiary objections and submissions effectively.
• Analyze the role of presumptions and burdens of proof in legal proceedings.
• Implement procedures for the presentation and exclusion of evidence in court.

Target Audience

This course is designed for legal practitioners, paralegals, law enforcement officers, and anyone involved in legal processes who needs a foundational understanding of evidentiary rules. It is also suitable for students and professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge of South African evidence law.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, a basic understanding of the South African legal system is beneficial.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals are designed to develop learners' ability to apply the rules of evidence in realistic courtroom and procedural settings. Through simulated exercises, learners practice examining witnesses, objecting to evidence, and presenting documentary and real evidence, reinforcing theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience.

Practical Activities

• Witness Examination Simulation — Learners conduct examination-in-chief, cross-examination, and re-examination of a witness based on a provided scenario, with feedback on technique and compliance with evidentiary rules. (4h)
• Documentary and Real Evidence Exercise — Learners work in groups to authenticate and tender various documents and real exhibits, arguing for or against admissibility, and ruling on objections. (4h)
• Hearsay and Opinion Evidence Workshop — Learners analyze case studies involving hearsay and expert opinion evidence, then present arguments for admissibility or exclusion in a mock hearing. (4h)
• Mock Trial – Full Evidentiary Application — Teams conduct a simplified trial (criminal or civil) incorporating all evidence types, with each learner playing a role (advocate, witness, judge). (3h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.