Witness for a Criminal Case

A witness is someone who has information about a crime or incident. A victim is considered a witness.

The Police

As a witness, you first gave your information to police. You may have contacted the police yourself or you may have been contacted by the police and asked to give information.

Court/Crown Counsel

Whether you are the victim or someone who gave information to police, if the case proceeds to court, you may be required to testify as a witness.

You may be requested to attend court as a witness for Crown or defence counsel.

Crown Witness

If you have been called to court to be a Crown witness, you will be part of the prosecution’s case. The victim is usually a witness for the Crown. Crown counsel is the lawyer representing the public, who must prove the case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defence Witness

If you have been called to be a defence witness, this means that you will be part of the defence case. This means you will be providing information or evidence that supports the accused. Defence counsel represents the accused.