Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2

• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Hearing: means any meeting in the course of an investigatory proceeding, other than a preliminary conference or interview at which no testimony is taken under oath, conducted by an investigating committee for the purpose of taking testimony or receiving other evidence. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
• Investigating committee: means any of the following which are authorized to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of books, records, papers, and documents for the purpose of securing information on a specific subject for the use of the legislature:
  (1) A standing or special or select committee or committee of the whole of either house of the legislature;
  (2) A joint committee of both houses;
  (3) An authorized subcommittee of a legislative committee; and
  (4) Any body created by law, the members of which may include nonlegislators. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.