The testimonies of witnesses - participants and eyewitnesses of the incident that became the reason for the trial - are very important for the investigation and the court, since they allow us to present the true picture of what happened. Therefore, witnesses are considered important participants in the trial. Anyone can become a witness and will have to testify.
Instructions
Step 1
It is clear that testifying is an extraordinary and responsible business, so your excitement will be natural. But this condition can prevent you from remembering the necessary details and giving an objective picture of what happened, so try to calm down and focus. You will have time for this, because the witnesses are summoned in advance with a summons, in which the names of the parties are indicated, so you can already find your way around what will be discussed and try to restore all the details in your memory, even if a lot of time has passed. If you have forgotten something, you can safely admit it, referring to a long time ago.
Step 2
The basic rule is to tell only the truth, not trying to take sides. Please note that false testimony is a criminal offense. State only the facts that you have seen or heard yourself, without giving them any assessment and without conjecturing what you do not know, moreover, do not retell what you have heard from others. Answer only those questions that you are asked, do not talk about what you are not asked about. Do not distort anything, be objective, no matter what sympathy or dislike you may have for one of the parties. Your story should sound dry and detached so that it cannot be interpreted broadly and used against you.
Step 3
Answer slowly, clearly, thinking over every word you say. This will help the participants in the process to hear everything that you are saying, and you do not accidentally say what you should not. If you do not know something, say so, there is nothing shameful about it. When the question is not clear to you, ask to clarify its meaning or to repeat it. Do not lose your temper and do not give in to provocative questions. Remain calm, and do not be annoyed, aggressive or hostile, even if provoked. Do not enter into arguments, defending the facts you have already stated, if necessary, calmly repeat again what you have already said. Your calmness and confidence will be a sign that everything you tell is true.
Step 4
You should not memorize your testimony in court beforehand - in this case, any unexpected question can confuse you, you will lose the thread of presentation. Since the court records every phrase uttered by the participants in the meeting, do not begin to speak before the question addressed to you has been fully formulated. After all, you must be sure that you fully understand its meaning.
