​In this briefing note, the moves to reform the law of evidence in NSW are discussed. A review of proposed and parallel reforms at a federal level has been undertaken due to the aim of the NSW Government to introduce evidence legislation that is (apart from a few minor technical differences) uniform with the final form of the Commonwealth evidence legislation.

A summary of the background and history of the NSW draft Evidence Bill 1993 and the Commonwealth Evidence Bill 1993 is given as well as an analysis of the arguments for and against the need to deal with the problems of the operation of the current evidence laws through comprehensive legislation.