{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-223.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-223.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-223.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-223.1.html"}],"law_id":82274,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82274,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-223.1","catch_line":"Use of constitutional rights","history":"1985, c. 192; 2020, c. 1062.","full_text":"In any civil action, the exercise by a party of any constitutional protection shall not be used against him, except that in any civil proceeding for spousal support, custody, or visitation under Title 16.1 or any civil action for divorce or separate maintenance under Title 20 filed on or after July 1, 2020, if a party or witness refuses to answer a question about conduct described in subdivision A (1) of \u00a7 20-91 or in \u00a7 18.2-365 on the ground that the testimony might be self-incriminating, the trier of fact may draw an adverse inference from such refusal.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294834,"text":"In any civil action, the exercise by a party of any constitutional protection shall not be used against him, except that in any civil proceeding for spousal support, custody, or visitation under Title 16.1 or any civil action for divorce or separate maintenance under Title 20 filed on or after July 1, 2020, if a party or witness refuses to answer a question about conduct described in subdivision A (1) of \u00a7 20-91 or in \u00a7 18.2-365 on the ground that the testimony might be self-incriminating, the trier of fact may draw an adverse inference from such refusal.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13673,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous Provisions","identifier":"21","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12886,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:31","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:31","permalink":{"id":280429,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13673,"identifier":"21","token":"8.01\/3\/21","url":"\/8.01\/3\/21\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12886,"edition_id":1,"name":"Actions","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":279635,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12886,"identifier":"3","token":"8.01\/3","url":"\/8.01\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12747,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":277029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12747,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":85637,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-218","catch_line":"Replevin abolished","url":"\/8.01-218\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-218","metadata":false},{"id":63478,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-219","catch_line":"Effect of judgment in trover","url":"\/8.01-219\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-219","metadata":false},{"id":69240,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-219.1","catch_line":"Responsibility of possessor of real property for harm to trespasser","url":"\/8.01-219.1\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-219.1","metadata":false},{"id":59967,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-220","catch_line":"Action for alienation of affection, breach of promise, criminal conversation and seduction 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assistance","url":"\/8.01-226.2\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.2","metadata":false},{"id":61582,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.3","catch_line":"Civil immunity for officers, directors and members of certain crime information-gathering organizations","url":"\/8.01-226.3\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.3","metadata":false},{"id":82193,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.4","catch_line":"Civil immunity for hospice volunteers","url":"\/8.01-226.4\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.4","metadata":false},{"id":61924,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.5","catch_line":"Immunity for installers and inspectors of child restraint devices","url":"\/8.01-226.5\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.5","metadata":false},{"id":64301,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.5:1","catch_line":"Civil immunity for school board employees supervising self-administration of certain medication","url":"\/8.01-226.5_1\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.5_1","metadata":false},{"id":77445,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.5:2","catch_line":"Immunity of hospital and emergency medical services agency personnel for the acceptance of certain infants","url":"\/8.01-226.5_2\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.5_2","metadata":false},{"id":67620,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.6","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/8.01-226.6\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.6","metadata":false},{"id":79443,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.7","catch_line":"Owner and agent compliance with residential lead-based paint notification; maintenance immunity","url":"\/8.01-226.7\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.7","metadata":false},{"id":76775,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.8","catch_line":"Civil immunity for public and nonprofit corporation officials and private volunteers participating in certain programs for probationers","url":"\/8.01-226.8\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.8","metadata":false},{"id":81275,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-226.9","catch_line":"Exemption from civil liability in connection with arrest or detention of person suspected of shoplifting","url":"\/8.01-226.9\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-226.9","metadata":false},{"id":67597,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-227","catch_line":"Remedy by motion on certain bonds given or taken by officers; notice","url":"\/8.01-227\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-227","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":65318,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-223","catch_line":"Lack of privity no defense in certain cases","url":"\/8.01-223\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-223","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63965,"structure_id":13673,"section_number":"8.01-223.2","catch_line":"Immunity of persons for statements made at public hearing or communicated to third party","url":"\/8.01-223.2\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-223.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-223.1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1985. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 192 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1985 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2020, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP1062\">1062<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":73179,"section_number":"18.2-365","catch_line":"Adultery defined; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-365\/"},{"id":82064,"section_number":"20-91","catch_line":"Grounds for divorce from bond of matrimony; contents of decree","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-91\/"}],"permalink":{"id":280495,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82274,"identifier":"8.01-223.1","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-223.1","url":"\/8.01-223.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-223.1\/","token":"8.01\/3\/21\/8.01-223.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Use of constitutional rights","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-223.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>In any <span class=\"dictionary\">civil action<\/span>, the exercise by a <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> of any constitutional protection shall not be used against him, except that in any civil proceeding for spousal support, <span class=\"dictionary\">custody<\/span>, or visitation under Title 16.1 or any <span class=\"dictionary\">civil action<\/span> for divorce or separate maintenance under Title 20 filed on or after July 1, 2020, if a <span class=\"dictionary\">party<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">witness<\/span> refuses to answer a question about conduct described in subdivision A (1) of \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Grounds for divorce from bond of matrimony; contents of decree\" href=\"\/20-91\/\">20-91<\/a> or in \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Adultery defined; penalty\" href=\"\/18.2-365\/\">18.2-365<\/a> on the ground that the <span class=\"dictionary\">testimony<\/span> might be self-incriminating, the trier of <span class=\"dictionary\">fact<\/span> may draw an adverse inference from such refusal.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS (\u00a7 8.01-223.1)\n\nIn any civil action, the exercise by a party of any constitutional protection\nshall not be used against him, except that in any civil proceeding for spousal\nsupport, custody, or visitation under Title 16.1 or any civil action for divorce\nor separate maintenance under Title 20 filed on or after July 1, 2020, if a\nparty or witness refuses to answer a question about conduct described in\nsubdivision A (1) of \u00a7 20-91 or in \u00a7 18.2-365 on the ground that the testimony\nmight be self-incriminating, the trier of fact may draw an adverse inference\nfrom such refusal.\n\nHISTORY: 1985, c. 192; 2020, c. 1062.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}