Joi nthe jury can be daunting, there is a whole set of professional language used in court. Here is a quick look at some of the common terms you will hear in court and at our show!
1. The Judge is addressed as 'your Honour' unless he or she is a High Court judge, who is addressed as 'My Lord' or 'My Lady'
2. The Prosecution barrister represents the Crown and is usually instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service. They do not, as commonly believed, represent victims.
3. Barristers are referred to by their surnames. They may also refer to each other as 'my friend' (but no longer the traditional 'm'learned friend').
4. Testimony is evidence given under oath of relevant facts seen or heard by witnesses. The general rule is that ordinary witnesses may not give evidence of their opinions.
5. Expert witnesses may give opinion evidence, but it must be limited to their field of expertise.
6. Character witnesses may give opinion evidence of the Defendant's qualities and credibility based on their knowledge of them.
7. Exhibits are objects or statements such as expert reports which are numbered and submitted as evidence for consideration by the jury.
8. Hearsay, simply put, is indirect evidence of what a witness heard from someone else, but did not hear or see themselves. It is generally inadmissible unless it is relevant to the Defendant's or another material person's state of mind or belief. The rules about hearsay can be confusing even for lawyers.
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