Presenting poor oral testimony can severely jeopardise a case. Here’s some ‘do’s and don’ts’ when it comes to giving oral testimony:
- don’t lie;
- don’t treat the testimony like a ‘test’ – it’s not about outsmarting everyone;
- make concessions (admissions) when appropriate;
- don’t become aggravated or combative;
- think about the question being asked;
- if you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it;
- if you don’t understand a question, ask for clarification;
- answer questions directly and concisely – lengthy sermons can be detrimental;
- be polite.
This article was published by Kyle Barram on 2 March 2016. Kyle is a criminal lawyer, family lawyer and Wills & Estates lawyer practising out of Townsville.