| Organization: | Trial Court Law Libraries Massachusetts Court System |
|---|---|
| Date published: | February 1, 2026 |
About the Guide to Evidence
The Massachusetts Guide to Evidence is prepared annually by the Supreme Judicial Court’s Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Evidence Law. By direction of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Guide organizes and states the law of evidence applied in proceedings in the courts of the Commonwealth, as set forth in the Federal and State Constitutions, General Laws, common law, and rules of court.
Table of Contents
- Statement of the Supreme Judicial Court and introduction
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- Section 401. Test for relevant evidence
- Section 402. General admissibility of relevant evidence
- Section 403. Excluding relevant evidence for prejudice, confusion, waste of time, or other reasons
- Section 404. Character evidence; crimes or other acts
- Section 405. Methods of proving character
- Section 406. Routine practice of a business; habit of an individual
- Section 407. Subsequent remedial measures
- Section 408. Compromise offers and negotiations in civil cases
- Section 409. Expressions of sympathy in civil cases; offers to pay medical and similar expenses
- Section 410. Pleas, offers of pleas, and related statements
- Section 411. Insurance
- Section 412. Sexual behavior or sexual reputation (Rape-shield law)
- Section 413. First complaint of sexual assault
- Section 414. Industry and safety standards
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- Article V. Introductory note
- Section 501. Privileges recognized only as provided
- Section 502. Attorney-client privilege
- Section 503. Psychotherapist-patient privilege
- Section 504. Spousal privilege and disqualification; parent-child disqualification
- Section 505. Domestic violence victims’ counselor privilege
- Section 506. Sexual assault counselor-victim privilege
- Section 507. Social worker-client privilege
- Section 508. Allied mental health or human services professional privilege
- Section 509. Identity of informer, surveillance location, and protected witness privileges
- Section 510. Religious privilege
- Section 511. Privilege against self-incrimination
- Section 512. Jury deliberations
- Section 513. Medical peer review privilege
- Section 514. Mediation privilege
- Section 515. Investigatory privilege
- Section 516. Political voter disqualification
- Section 517. Trade secrets
- Section 518. Executive or governmental privilege
- Section 519. State and federal tax returns
- Section 520. Tax return preparer
- Section 521. Sign language interpreter-client privilege
- Section 522. Interpreter-client privilege
- Section 523. Waiver of privilege
- Section 524. Privileged matter disclosed erroneously or without opportunity to claim privilege
- Section 525. Comment upon or inference from claim of privilege
- Section 526. Unemployment hearing privilege
- Section 527. Judicial deliberation privilege
- Section 528. Union member-union privilege
- Section 529. Protections regarding diversion programs
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- Section 601. Competency
- Section 602. Need for personal knowledge
- Section 603. Oath or affirmation to testify truthfully
- Section 604. Interpreters
- Section 605. Competency of judge as witness
- Section 606. Juror’s competency as a witness
- Section 607. Who may impeach a witness
- Section 608. A witness’s character for truthfulness or untruthfulness
- Section 609. Impeachment by evidence of conviction of crime
- Section 610. Religious beliefs or opinions
- Section 611. Mode and order of examining witnesses and presenting evidence
- Section 612. Writing or object used to refresh memory
- Section 613. Prior statements of witnesses, limited admissibility
- Section 614. Calling and examination of witnesses by court or jurors
- Section 615. Sequestration of witnesses
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- Article VIII. Introductory note
- Section 801. Definitions
- Section 802. The rule against hearsay
- Section 803. Hearsay exceptions; availability of declarant immaterial
- Section 804. Hearsay exceptions; declarant unavailable
- Section 805. Hearsay within hearsay
- Section 806. Attacking and supporting credibility of hearsay declarant
- Section 807. Residual exception
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- Section 1001. Definitions that apply to this article
- Section 1002. Requirement of original (Best evidence rule)
- Section 1003. Admissibility of duplicates
- Section 1004. Admissibility of other evidence of contents
- Section 1005. Official records
- Section 1006. Summaries to prove content
- Section 1007. Testimony or statement of party to prove content
- Section 1008. Functions of judge and fact finder
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- Section 1101. Applicability of evidentiary sections
- Section 1102. Spoliation or destruction of evidence
- Section 1103. Sexually dangerous person proceedings
- Section 1104. Witness cooperation agreements
- Section 1105. Third-party culprit evidence
- Section 1106. Abuse prevention and harassment prevention proceedings
- Section 1107. Inadequate police investigation evidence
- Section 1108. Access to third-party records prior to trial in criminal cases (Lampron-Dwyer Protocol)
- Section 1109. View
- Section 1110. Consciousness of guilt or liability
- Section 1111. Missing witness
- Section 1112. Eyewitness identification
- Section 1113. Opening statement and closing argument; Applicable to criminal and civil cases
- Section 1114. Restitution
- Section 1115. Evidentiary issues in care and protection, child custody, and termination of parental rights cases
- Section 1116. Peremptory challenges of potential jurors
- Section 1117. Civil commitment hearings for mental illness
- Section 1118. Civil commitment hearings for alcohol and substance use disorders
- Section 1119. Digital evidence
- Section 1120. Courtroom demonstrations, experiments, and computer simulations
- Section 1121. Parol evidence
- Addendum: Federal rules of evidence comparison chart
- Supplement to the 2026 edition
Downloads
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Open PDF file, 2.74 MB, Massachusetts Guide to Evidence: 2026 edition (English, PDF 2.74 MB)