Alibi

Alibi (Lat., 'elsewhere') is a defence resorted to in criminal prosecutions, when the accused, in order to prove that he could not have committed the crime, tenders evidence to the effect that he was in a different place at the time the offence was committed. In Scotland, though not in England, the prisoner must give notice to the crown of a special defence of alibi, stating where he was at the time of the crime. It is not uncommon for the family or friends to swear a false alibi, hence the necessity for notice.