Objection

For other uses, see Objection (disambiguation).

An objection is a formal protest raised in a court of law during a trial to disallow a witness's testimony or other evidence which would be in violation of the rules of evidence or other procedural law. Objections are a critical component of the adversarial system of justice, where each party has the opportunity to challenge the admissibility of evidence presented by the opposing party.

Types of Objections

There are several common types of objections, including but not limited to:

• Hearsay: An objection to testimony that quotes someone not present in court.
• Relevance: An objection to evidence or testimony that is not related to the case.
• Leading question: An objection to a question that suggests its own answer.
• Speculation: An objection to a witness's testimony that is based on conjecture rather than known facts.
• Opinion: An objection to a witness giving an opinion rather than stating facts.
• Foundation: An objection that the evidence lacks the necessary foundation to be admissible.

Procedure

When an attorney makes an objection, the judge must rule on its validity. The judge can either "sustain" the objection, meaning the evidence or testimony is disallowed, or "overrule" the objection, meaning the evidence or testimony is allowed. The judge's ruling on objections can significantly impact the outcome of a trial.

Purpose

The primary purpose of objections is to ensure that the trial proceeds according to the established rules and that the evidence presented is fair and reliable. Objections help to prevent the introduction of evidence that could unfairly prejudice the jury or that is not pertinent to the case.

Related Concepts

• Motion in limine
• Voir dire
• Cross-examination
• Direct examination
• Burden of proof
• Precedent

See Also

• Courtroom
• Legal procedure
• Trial (law)
• Evidence (law)
• Adversarial system

Related Pages

• Hearsay
• Relevance (law)
• Leading question
• Speculation (law)
• Opinion (law)
• Foundation (evidence)