For those who object that the common law should forever control, Juris dictionary replies it is our shared duty as citizens of free republics to teach the maxims to our neighbors and our children so our leaders and the people themselves will have better guidance. Competence See competent . Competency The degree to which a person is competent , q.v. Having the right to be believed. A competent witness is not necessarily credible , however the testimony of an incompetent witness might, under certain circumstances, be completely credible in light of other known facts.
Credibility goes to the believability of the testimony.
An example of a competent document is a certified copy of a court order, while a document that might be deemed to lack competence is a copy of an unsigned typed letter received by a fax machine. A person who is deemed by the court legally incompetent is one whose disabilities render their verbal and other representations incompetent, i.e., not worthy of belief. Complaint Where it all begins. The first party filing the complaint is called the plaintiff. The party against whom the complaint is filed is called the defendant.