157. Impeaching credit of witness

The credit of a witness may be impeached in the following ways by the adverse party or, with the consent of the court, by the party who calls him or her:

by the evidence of persons who testify that they from their knowledge of the witness believe him or her to be unworthy of credit;

by proof that the witness has been bribed, or has accepted the offer of a bribe, or has received any other corrupt inducement to give his or her evidence;

by proof of former statements inconsistent with any part of his or her evidence which is liable to be contradicted. Explanation.—A witness declaring another witness to be unworthy of credit may not, upon his or her examination-in-chief, give reasons for his or her belief, but he or she may be asked his or her reasons in cross‑examination, and the answer which he or she gives cannot be contradicted, though, if they are false, he or she may afterwards be charged with giving false evidence.Illustrations (a) A sues B for the price of goods sold and delivered to B. C says that C delivered the goods to B. Evidence is offered to show that on a previous occasion C said that C had not delivered the goods to B. The evidence is admissible. (b) A is indicted for the murder of B. C says that B, when dying, declared that A had given B the wound of which B died. Evidence is offered to show that on a previous occasion C said that the wound was not given by A or in his or her presence. The evidence is admissible.