This Code shall be construed to secure fairness in administration, elimination of unjustifiable expense and delay and promotion of growth and development of the law of evidence to the end that the truth may be ascertained and proceedings justly determined.
§ 2102.Legislative Purpose
Chapter 40: Oklahoma Evidence Code · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSets out the Evidence Code's guiding goals -- fairness in administration, cutting unjustifiable expense and delay, letting the law of evidence keep developing, and reaching the truth so cases are justly decided.
Full Text of § 2102
Amendment History
Laws 1978, SB 276, c. 285, § 102, eff. 10/1/1978.
Plain-English Summary
Section 2102 tells courts how to read every other section of the Evidence Code. Four purposes anchor the interpretation: fairness in administration, cutting unjustifiable expense and delay, letting the law of evidence keep growing, and reaching the truth so proceedings end in just results.
Courts lean on this section when a rule's text leaves room for more than one reading -- the interpretation that serves these goals wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Oklahoma Evidence Code?
Section 2102 lists four goals: fairness in administration, eliminating unjustifiable expense and delay, promoting growth and development of the law of evidence, and ascertaining the truth so proceedings are justly determined.
Does this section create any evidence rule on its own?
No. It states the Code's purpose rather than a rule of admissibility, and courts use it to guide how the other sections get applied.
Why does the statute mention "unjustifiable expense and delay"?
Because a code of evidence rules exists partly to move cases along -- the statute treats needless cost and delay as something the rules should help eliminate.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
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