O

Latin. On account of reverence to the person and the fear of perjury. On these reasons were founded the exclusion of certain persons as witnesses, as well as the right which a witness in certain circumstances had of declining to answer the question put On account of the former, all persons standing in the position of relationship to the suitor for whom they were proposed to be adduced, were excluded as incompetent witnesses, because it was apprehended that the respect or reverence they had, or were supposed to entertain, for their relative, would prevent them telling the truth, or the whole truth. All ...