The Case
Don't be surprised if quite a long time has lapsed since you originally came forward or gave a statement.
If you really cannot attend court on the date set you should contact whoever asked you to attend in advance. If you are too ill to give evidence on the day, contact the clerk of the court or the person who asked you to attend. You should also ask your GP for a medical certificate and fax it to the court. If there are other serious reasons why you cannot attend you should contact the court at the earliest opportunity to explain.
The court does have the power to issue a witness summons, which means that you will have to attend court.
You should tell the person who asked you to come to court if:
- you think you will need an interpreter;
- you have a disability or other special needs; or
- you would like to visit the court on a day before the trial starts.
When you receive your witness warning letter, or are asked to attend court you should get a copy of the leaflet 'Witness in Court'. You can download this leaflet from the right hand side of this page.
You may also find the Witness Service's Going to court leaflet useful. It is given to witnesses who are asked to attend court.