RULE 501. PRIVILEGES RECOGNIZED ONLY AS PROVIDED
Except as otherwise provided by constitution or statute or by these or other rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of this State, no person has a privilege to:
(1) refuse to be a witness;
(2) refuse to disclose any matter;
(3) refuse to produce any object or writing; or
(4) prevent another from being a witness or disclosing any matter or producing any object or writing.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
As a general principle, evidentiary privileges will be granted and applied in accordance with the provisions of these rules.
Certain statutory privileges, however, include matters beyond the proper scope of evidentiary rules, and others have been found to be in accordance with the philosophy of these rules. These statutes have been left undisturbed. Thus, the privilege against self-incrimination ( 31-01-09, NDCC), and the privilege relating to grand jury testimony ( 29-10.1-30, NDCC) and the privileges afforded qualified school counselors ( 31-01-06.1, NDCC) and newsmen ( 31-01-06.2, NDCC) all remain in effect under these rules.
SOURCES: Minutes of Joint Procedure Committee: January 29, 1976, page 2. Rule 501, Uniform Rules of Evidence (1974).
STATUTES AFFECTED:
SUPERSEDED: 14-12.1-22, 31-01-02, 31-01-06(1), 31-01-06(2), 31-01-06(3), NDCC.
CONSIDERED:10-23-10, 10-28-06, 12-59-04, 12.1-29-04, 14-02.1-07, 14-16-02, 14-17-19, 14-17-22, 19-16.1-10, 23-01-15, 23-02-23, 23-07-01.1, 23-25-06, 26-17.1-49, 27-05.1-14, 29-10.1-30, 31-01-06(4), 31-01-06.1, 31-01-06.2, 31-01-09, 37-18-11(6)(b), 50-25.1-11, 65-13-10, NDCC