Going to court to give evidence as a victim or witness

Extra support in the courtroom

The court may be able to take extra steps to protect you if you:

are under 18
have a mental or physical disability
are afraid to give evidence
are a victim of a sexual offence
are a victim of other serious crimes, such as domestic violence or attempted murder

These steps include:

screens, so the defendant cannot see you
giving evidence by video link from somewhere else (the defendant will be able to see you)
asking the public to leave the courtroom when you give evidence, if the case is about a sexual offence
recording your evidence in front of a camera before the trial
having someone explain the questions and help you reply to the court (an ‘intermediary’)

If you’re the victim or a prosecution witness, speak to your witness care officer or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

If you’re a defence witness, speak to the defence lawyer.

The trial judge will then decide what support will be made available to you.