It’s broadly correct. It’s slightly different in the US but the principles are the same, insofar as the rule of hearsay (with certain exceptions) means that the evidence of a witness isn’t generally admissible unless it is given live in court, and thereby the accused has the opportunity (usually through their legal representative) to ask questions of that witness in order to challenge their evidence. There many are exceptions to the hearsay rule in the US, in rule 803 of the Federal Rules of Evidence:
www.law.cornell.edu
The exceptions in this jurisdiction are more far reaching:
As stated in our previous article, hearsay in criminal cases can be identified using the approach set out in R v Twist [2011] 2 Cr App R 17 and the statutory framework established by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA). The general rule is that hearsay statements are inadmissible unless they...
www.bindmans.com
Hearsay is a hugely misunderstood concept, but the overarching principle is that they have to be ‘here to say it’.
That doesn’t mean a conviction can’t be secured without eyewitness testimony (Lucy Letby) and there is nothing necessarily wrong with circumstantial evidence, but often the absence of a live eyewitness means a prosecution isn’t sustainable.
The rule is ultimately there to protect people who are accused of crimes and to ensure they get a fair trial.