What is required before a witness can be rehabilitated after impeachment?

Before a witness can be rehabilitated after impeachment, it is essential that the witness has been impeached first. Impeachment refers to the process of challenging the credibility of the witness, typically by introducing evidence that calls their reliability or truthfulness into question. Rehabilitation then becomes necessary to restore that credibility.

Once a witness has faced impeachment, the party that called the witness may introduce additional evidence or testimony to offset the damaging implications of the impeachment. This could involve clarifying the context of prior statements or introducing new evidence that supports the witness's reliability. Therefore, establishing that impeachment has occurred is the crucial first step before any efforts at rehabilitation can take place. Without impeachment, there is no basis for rehabilitation, as there would be no credibility issues to address.