Definition

Noun: 1. Things done; deeds; transactions: In a general historical or narrative sense, this refers to the events, acts, or accomplishments of a person, nation, or period. 2. A rule of evidence: In legal contexts, this is an exception to the hearsay rule. It covers statements or acts that are so closely connected to an event in time and nature that they are considered part of the event itself, and thus their report in court is not considered hearsay.

Usage Examples

• General/Narrative Sense:
  • The historian focused on the emperor's res gestae, detailing his military campaigns and civic projects.
  • The autobiography was less about his feelings and more a record of his res gestae.
• Legal Sense:
  • The witness's account of the victim's immediate, spontaneous shout was admitted under the doctrine of res gestae.
  • The court allowed the statement as part of the res gestae because it was made during the commission of the crime.

Advanced Usage

• Legal Application: The concept is used to admit otherwise inadmissible hearsay evidence when a statement is an instinctive, contemporaneous reaction to an event, such as an exclamation of pain during an accident or an immediate identification of an assailant. It is based on the idea that such statements lack the premeditation that makes hearsay unreliable.

Variants and Related Words

• Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Proper Noun): "The Deeds of the Divine Augustus," a first-person account of the life and accomplishments of Rome's first emperor, Augustus, inscribed on monuments. This is the most famous historical use of the term.
• Hearsay (Noun): An out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted, which is generally not admissible as evidence. is an exception to this rule.
• Excited Utterance (Noun, Legal): A modern evidence rule in many jurisdictions that has largely absorbed or replaced the common law doctrine for spontaneous statements.

Synonyms

• Deeds
• Exploits
• Acts
• Accomplishments
• Transactions

Notes on Meaning

The word has two distinct primary meanings: 1. A classical/historical meaning referring to achievements or deeds. 2. A specialized legal meaning as an evidentiary doctrine. The legal meaning is more commonly encountered in modern English usage within professional contexts.

Noun

1. things done
2. rule of evidence that covers words that are so closely associated with an occurrence that the words are considered part of the occurrence and as such their report does not violate the hearsay rule