Being a witness in court?

Question

I've got to be a witness in a court case soon. Please can you tell me what to expect, i'm most worried about the defence calling me a liar and being 'horrible'
Serious advice please.

Answer 1

I've done it twice in the last two years, once for a motor vehicle accident and once for a cival matter that arrose out of the MVA.

What happened with me was that a copy of the statement I had made was given to me to read. This was to refresh my memory (didn't really need it). Couldn't take it into the court room, though. When I was called to witness both prosecution and defence asked questions to clarify my statement. No one was ""Horrible". It was all calm and quite OK. The thing that annoyed was the plaintif's attitude (in the cival matter) toward compensation for me. Basically it was "stiff, mate, you get nothing but thanks for helping me to make a motza".

Answer 2

I've been a witness for the prosecution in a case in a magistrates court. It wasn't as bad as they make out on tv!

You sit in a little room with a court usher so you can go through your statement, sit outside the court room till they call you in, then you go in and swear an oath that you will tell the truth, tell them what happened, they ask you a few questions....and your done! Although when i went they made me draw a picture of something i was describing - was so embarrasing, everyone watching you sitting there doddling on a piece of paper!

The Judge can be a bit of an ****, but ignore him, he's only doing his job and needs to get all the facts straight so he can make the right decision!

Answer 3

The defence will try to get you angry or scared if its a serious case. Try breathing deep and slowly while they are asking you questions. Try not to answer quickly because you might interupt the whole question, remember they work for the government and i've yet to see an employee of the state hurry.
Most lawyers can be told off for winding up the witness and scaring them, if you feel that bothered pause for a complete breath before answering.
Try to relax, remember you're not on trial here.

Answer 4

Never been a witness in court and if I were to be then I too would be scarred too, have you looked on any of the law websites to see if there are is any help or tips to see you through, the duty solicitor at court should be able to quell all your worries and nerves on the day of the case been in court, just be as honest as you were on your statement and try to stay calm, good luck.

Answer 5

Ive been a witness in court once before for an ex boyfriend who got beaten up.

My main advice is, dress smart but comfortable cos you will want to be confident but there is a lot of waiting around ( I waited for 2 days!!) when you go in its very formal and I guess - a lot like is is on telly.
They are not allowed to call you a liar and if you are only a witness and not a suspect, they should be nice to you.

Answer 6

Well the defence could be a bit scathing when talking to you, though rarely openly nasty. All you need to do is stay confident, tell the truth and not be affected by what they say. If you show any sign of wavering, they'll pounce on it and try to use it to discredit you. Don't be sharp back, just calmly stick to your story and repeat it if they try to warp what you said.
Remember; the defence lawyer is just doing his job, he doesn't really care about you or the case, only geting his money.

Answer 7

Main witness? If you're a neutral witness (e.g., you saw a car accident), you'll just get a lot of questions. If you're an interested party, you may or may not get some hostility from the side you're testifying against. Whichever it is, just answer the questions and STOP TALKING when you've finished saying what you definitely know.

Answer 8

In the worst case the defence/prosecution may try a character assassination, but stay calm and try not to feel intimidated, appeal to the judge and look to your counsel if you feel it is getting out of hand or irrelevant.

Answer 9

Just be truthful at all times, do not change your story at all and be confidant that your answers are the true to the best off your knowledge. Before answering a question think very carefully before giving your answer, even if they try to twist it, stick to the samer answer. If you have to reappear remember what you said previously, and nothing should go wrong. Best of luck

Answer 10

IT WON'T BE LIKE JUDGE JUDY'S FAKE COURTROOM. YOU WILL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT. KEEP IN MIND THEY WILL GIVE YOU EASY QUESTIONS AT FIRST TO GET YOU COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO ANSWER WITH A SIMPLE YES OR BASIC FACTUAL INFO. AND THEN WILL ASK MORE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS TO SEE IF YOU ARE A DISGHONEST PERSON. ALSO THE PERSON YOU ARE A WITNESS TO MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW YOUR BACKGROUND.

GOOD LUCK