When is accomplice testimony required to be corroborated according to the CCP?

The requirement for corroboration of accomplice testimony is rooted in the principle that an accomplice, due to their involvement in the crime, may have motives to provide biased or unreliable testimony. Therefore, to ensure the integrity of the judicial process, the Code of Criminal Procedure necessitates that the testimony of an accomplice must be supported by additional evidence. This corroborating evidence does not need to establish the accused's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but should provide enough support to lend credibility to the accomplice’s statements.

This rule aims to prevent wrongful convictions based solely on potentially untrustworthy sources. In contrast, the presence of other types of potential witnesses, such as those providing character references or those who are simply absent from the crime scene, does not invoke the same requirement for corroboration. The emphasis is specifically on the nature of an accomplice's involvement in the crime, highlighting the unique risks of relying solely on their testimony.