What is Witness?
A '''witness''' is someone who sees something happen. They are often used in [[court]] to help find the [[truth]]. During a [[trial]], the two [[lawyer]]s will bring in witnesses to help back up their arguments. In a criminal trial, the [[Prosecutor|prosecution lawyer]] will often bring in the victim of the crime to say what happened, and anyone else who can prove the accused person did the crime. The defense lawyer will nearly always call up the accused person to explain why they are not [[guilty]], and bring in other witnesses who can prove the accused person is not guilty. Each time a lawyer brings in a witness, the other lawyer will ''cross examine'' the witness - they will ask them questions to make sure they are telling the truth. Witnesses have to swear to tell the truth during the trial. If a witness lies in court, it is known as ''[[perjury]]'', which is a [[crime]]. A witness can be [[subpoena]]d, which means they are required to [[wikt:testify|testify]] in court. If the witness does not testify when given a subpoena, they can be punished. ==Related pages== *[[Notary]] ==Other websites== *[http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/investigation/witness-witness.htm Witness statements (UK)] *[https://www.bergerandgreen.com Bergerandgreen] {{stub}} [[Category:Trials]] [[Category:Legal terms]]