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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74141</law_id><section_number>8.01-396</section_number><catch_line>No person incompetent to testify by reason of interest, or because a party</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.01">Civil Remedies and Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="14">Evidence</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Witnesses Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>No <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall be incompetent to testify because of interest, or because of his being a <span class="dictionary">party</span> to any <span class="dictionary">civil action</span>; but he shall, if otherwise competent to testify, and subject to the rules of <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> and practice applicable to other witnesses, be competent to give <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in his own behalf and be competent and compellable to attend and give <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> on behalf of any other <span class="dictionary">party</span> to such action; but, in any case, the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, for good cause shown, may require any such <span class="dictionary">person</span> to attend and testify <span class="dictionary">ore tenus</span> and, upon his failure to so attend and testify, may exclude his <span class="dictionary">deposition</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 8-285; 1977, c. 617.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
