All persons are competent to testify unless the Court considers that they are prevented from understanding the questions put to them or from giving rational answers to those questions due to tender or extreme old age, any physical or mental disease or any other cause of the same kind and nature.
A lunatic is not incompetent to testify, unless he is prevented by his lunacy from understanding the questions put to him and giving rational answers to them.
In case of children, no precise age is fixed by law within which they are absolutely excluded from giving evidence on the presumption that they have not sufficient understanding.
A witness who is unable to speak may give his evidence in any other manner in which he can make it intelligible, as by writing or by signs. However, such writing must be written and the signs must be made in open court. Evidence so given is deemed to be oral evidence.
In all civil proceedings, the parties to the suit and the husband or wife of any party to the suit, are considered to be competent witnesses. In a criminal proceeding against any person, the husband or wife of such person respectively are considered as competent witness.
