Court support for witnesses of crime

Witnesses play an important part in the court process and your evidence can help the court decide if the accused is guilty of committing a crime.

On this page

• Appearing in court
• Testimonial accommodation
• Interpreter services
• For more information

Appearing in court

For information about appearing in court, see Appearing in court.

For more information about what will take place in court, ask the lawyer involved in the case. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Testimonial accommodation

Testimonial accommodations are special steps taken to support victims or witnesses of crime during their testimony in court.

For more information about testimonial accommodations, see Court support (Understanding criminal justice).

Interpreter services

Witnesses who have difficulty understanding English can request a court interpreter to translate what is said in court, including the legal arguments of Crown and defence counsel.

Often, the interpreter will sit beside the person who needs assistance and listen and interpret at the same time. Sometimes, the interpretation will be done with a microphone and a headset. Court interpreters have to be approved by the court to serve as official interpreters.

For more information and to learn how to request a court interpreter, see Arrange an interpreter for court proceedings.

For more information

For more information about the court support available to you, see Court support (Understanding criminal justice).