Medical law: hostile witness: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical law: hostile witness

Sample item

A doctor called by the prosecution departs from his earlier recorded statement in court. What may the prosecutor do, with the court's permission?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Cross-examine the witness as a hostile witness

A witness who shows hostility or contradicts his earlier statement can be declared hostile with the court's permission, and the party that called him may then cross-examine him, including with leading questions. The court decides what weight to give to the testimony.

Option by option

  • A. Have the witness arrested immediately

    Arrest is not an automatic consequence; perjury needs separate proceedings.

  • B. Cross-examine the witness as a hostile witness (correct)

    Correct. The party may cross-examine its own hostile witness with permission.

  • C. Refuse to let the court record the evidence

    Evidence is recorded and its weight is evaluated by the court.

  • D. Strike the witness off the medical register

    Registration matters are decided by the medical council, not the examining counsel.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Cross-examine the witness as a hostile witness. A witness who shows hostility or contradicts his earlier statement can be declared hostile with the court's permission, and the party that called him may then cross-examine him, including with leading questions.

Why is "Have the witness arrested immediately" not the answer?

Arrest is not an automatic consequence; perjury needs separate proceedings.

Why is "Refuse to let the court record the evidence" not the answer?

Evidence is recorded and its weight is evaluated by the court.

Why is "Strike the witness off the medical register" not the answer?

Registration matters are decided by the medical council, not the examining counsel.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law: hostile witness in Forensic Medicine. The court decides what weight to give to the testimony.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical law: hostile witness?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.