§ 40.020 Rule 102. Purpose and construction

Oregon's evidence rules exist to make court cases fair and fast. Judges are supposed to read and apply these rules in a way that avoids wasting time or money on unnecessary steps. The goal is to help courts get to the truth so cases are decided fairly.

This rule doesn't create specific requirements you have to follow. Instead, it acts like a guide for judges when they're deciding how to interpret other evidence rules. If a rule is unclear or could be read different ways, judges are supposed to pick the interpretation that helps uncover the truth and leads to a just outcome, rather than one that causes delays or runs up costs for the people involved.

In practice, this means courts try to avoid overly technical or rigid readings of evidence rules that would block relevant facts from coming out or drag out a case without good reason. It sets the tone for how all the other evidence rules should work together.