Legal Definitions - swearing match

A swearing match occurs when two witnesses give conflicting testimonies and there is no other evidence to determine the truth. It is also known as a swearing contest or oath against an oath. In this situation, the jury must decide which witness they find more trustworthy.

In a court case, one witness claims they saw the defendant at the scene of the crime, while another witness claims they saw the defendant elsewhere at the same time. There is no other evidence to determine the truth, so it becomes a swearing match. The jury must decide which witness they believe is telling the truth.

Another example could be two people giving different accounts of a car accident they witnessed. If their stories cannot be reconciled, it becomes a swearing match.

These examples illustrate how a swearing match occurs when two witnesses give conflicting testimonies and there is no other evidence to determine the truth. The outcome of the case depends on which witness the jury finds more trustworthy.