Role of witnesses

The role of witnesses is to report to the court everything they know about an event.

Witnesses who are also victims of the crime concerned can also:

explain to the court the effect of the crime on their lives;
inform the court of the harm suffered (material damage, physical or mental injury, stress, financial losses, etc.);
mention the effect of the crime on their relationships with other people.

To perform their role, witnesses must answer the questions asked by the prosecution and the defence.

Last update: October 20, 2025

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