Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Other subjects

Anyone ever been to Crown Court

15 replies

Nervous · 06/09/2004 13:08

I am going to be a witness and was wondering if anyone had any experience of this. Nervous to know if it is very intimidating, how will i be treated etc. TIA

OP posts:
Tinker · 06/09/2004 13:15

I've been a few times (for work reasons). If you get the chance I'd go along to a few sessions beforehand so that you get a feel for the place - I might be wrong but I think a few courts do do familiarisation visits for witnesses.

Difficult to say how you'll be treated, depends how crucial your evidence is. Just tell the truth and be confident that what you are saying is the truth.

It is nerve wracking but not quite as harsh and dramatic as it appears on tv.

Good luck

Nervous · 06/09/2004 13:25

I think my evedence is pretty crucial, but doesn't it just depend on the Barrister/ Magistrate.. see i am clueless don't even know who heads a crown court. I have been offered a visit to the court so will except. Thanks Tinker.

OP posts:
fio2 · 06/09/2004 13:45

There is a mumsnetter who has just been appointed a magistrate who may know more.

I would think going for a visit would put your mind at rest more so you know what to expect. Hope it all goes well for you and when the time comes your nerves are not too bad, although it must be very stressful for you

frogs · 06/09/2004 14:05

Hi Nervous

I have to give evidence in Crown Court professionally, so I am pretty used to it.

Most courts will have a witness liaison section whose job it is to support witnesses, but they vary in how good they are. Ideally you should have the opportunity to go to the courtroom beforehand so you can get familiar with the layout.

Crown Courts all have the same basic ingredients, though the actual look and layout of it will vary according to how old or modern the building is. There will be a high bench for the judge who is in overall charge. In front of him (and it is usually a him) will be rows of desks and benches for the prosecution and defence barristers, who are the people asking witnesses questions.

You will be in the witness box which is generally to one side of the judges bench, usually nearest the door you come in by, so you shouldn't have to walk right through the court room to get to it, though this does vary.

Opposite you will usually be the jury, and they are the people you are addressing your answers to, even though the barristers are asking the questions. This feels a bit confusing to start with, but remember that ultimately it is the jury (ordinary people like you and me) who are the most important people, as they make the decisions about guilt or innocence of the accused.

Behind the barristers, facing the judge and at a right angle to you will be the dock, where the defendant/s (the accused) will sit, possibly with one or more prison officers.

There will be some other benches for the press and for the public, though they may be in a separate gallery.

Your main contact will be the clerk to the court, usually an elderly or middle-aged man (sometimes a woman) whose job it is to show you to the witness box, help you take the oath, and get you a drink of water if you feel the need (I always do -- my mouth gets very dry!)

Courts can be intimidating places, but this is largely because of the formality of the situation. In general barristers do not set out to humiliate or upset witnesses; but clearly they need to ask some fairly searching questions, which can sometimes feel like bullying. Also most barristers (men more than women IME) are quite good at that 'public-school pompous' manner, which can be intimidating if you're not used to it.

The barrister for your own side (ie prosecution or defence as applicable) will ask you questions first, and generally they will have introduced themselves to you beforehand. This shouldn't be a scary experience as they're on your side, and are just trying to give you the chance to explain your evidence. The other side's barrister will then want to ask you more questions to see whether your story is convincing, which can be a bit more stressful.

The key thing to remember is to not be rushed into answering. Consider the question, decide how you're going to answer it, give your answer and then stop talking. It's very easy to start blathering and start saying all sorts of things you didn't mean to say.

Barristers will generally encourage this by suggesting to you that you might have been mistaken, eg. "But is it possible it was someone else?"; or: "How many other people in this town have brown hair and wear jeans?" If you're sure it was X, then just say so -- don't start getting defensive and justifying your answer.

Often barristers will keep asking the same or similar questions over and over in the hope that you'll change your answer a bit don't fall for this one! If you're sure of your answer, just keep repeating it eventually they'll see it's not going anywhere and give up. Listen to politicians being interviewed on the Today programme for inspiration.

If you want more specific answers, do ask, but remember you shouldn't discuss your actual evidence with anybody beforehand.

hth

Nervous · 06/09/2004 14:35

Thanks for taking your time to write that frogs, just the kind of thing i wanted to know. It does sound quite frightening if i am honest. If there is
fingerprint evidence could there be a chance witnesses aren't called, or is that highly unlikely

OP posts:
frogs · 06/09/2004 15:26

The scope for being messed about is almost limitless, tbh.

The most common is for them to phone up the evening before to cancel me, followed by getting to court and being told I'm not needed, often in combination with sitting around in the waiting area for five hours beforehand.

These sorts of hitches arise from last-minute changes in how the barristers are trying to present their case, and are most likely to happen in a trial that is listed for a short time (a few days).

The first day or so of any trial is usually taken up with legal argument, where the barristers and the judge are in court to argue about what kind of evidence is and isn't allowed. If a particular part of the evidence is excluded at this stage, then obviously any witnesses relating to that won't be called.

Another common one is for the defendent to plead guilty once the trial actually starts, particularly if the evidence against him or her is overwhelming.

So don't stock up on valium just yet -- it's perfectly possible that you won't need to give evidence. If it looks as though you will, and you're particularly worried about how you'll cope, you can go to your GP and ask for beta-blockers. They're drugs that calm the adrenaliney stress reactions (racing heart, sweating) without making you feel sleepy. This is what I take before giving evidence, and I go several times a year.

hth

SofiaAmes · 06/09/2004 15:35

Hi nervous. I was a witness in court for our neighbor who was accused of attacking a police officer. In fact the reality was quite the opposite. The court case came up only a few months after I had my ds and I had to show up hobbling from my cs with my bfing baby in my arms (dh was a witness too). The court people were really nice and let me sit in a separate waiting room. They made special arrangements for me to be sitting while testifying and were generally helpful and polite. The prosecuting barrister did try to get aggressive with me and said something like "I suggest that things really happened this way....." I simply responded VERY FIRMLY and POLITELY "I'm sorry, but I beg to differ, they did not happen that way, they happened this way...." He didn't try it on again after that.
The only bad part about the whole thing was that a policeman did come up to my dh and our neighbor after the whole (neighbor was acquitted largely because of our testimony) and threaten both my dh and our neighbor. I was happily bfing away in the private witnesses waiting room.

SofiaAmes · 06/09/2004 15:37

Oh and just to reiterate what frogs had said. The case had been postponed twice before (with only a day's notice) and when we finally did show up, I was supposed to testify in the morning, but didn't get put on til the afternoon. Bring a good book and food.

Nervous · 06/09/2004 16:22

Thanks for you posts frogs and sofia and fio, at the initial hearing he pleaded not guilty. So will see what happens. I think the worst thing is that there is no fixed formula and anything could happen. The main thing i have gathered is i must stay calm and firm. Thanks again. I have also been offered to use a video or screen, it seemed a lttle ridiculous but after your posts i may consider it.
Another thing, typical women, but would you wear a suit?

OP posts:
alicatsg · 06/09/2004 16:47

wear whatever you are going to feel confident in - if it'll help you feel in charge then a suit is no bad thing, if its going to make you feel uncomfortable wear something else. Of course if you only feel confident in a chicken suit then you should ignore that advice.

they're not judging you, you're there to say what happened.

good luck

Nervous · 06/09/2004 16:51

Why what would happen if i wore a chicken suit?

Thanks for making me larf

OP posts:
alicatsg · 06/09/2004 17:00

i think you might distract the magistrate in a chicken suit...!

frogs · 06/09/2004 17:16

I would wear something that is at the smart end of your normal range, but not so far outside your usual repertoire that it makes you feel uncomfortable.

It depends a bit on the capacity in which you've been called -- when I go to Court I'm there as a professional to talk about specific scientific aspects of the case, so I wear a suit.

If you're appearing in a personal capacity to give evidence about something that you happened to witness, then anything smart will be fine. If a suit is not your thing, then don't feel you have to get one. A smart top and maybe a jacket will be fine -- anything that shows you're a respectable person who is taking the whole thing seriously.

Nervous · 06/09/2004 17:41

Thanks a lot frogs, you have been a great help

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 06/09/2004 21:24

I wore something nice, but not a suit. I don't normally wear suits for work and anyway, don't think I would have fitted into most of my clothes at that point.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread