When you have given evidence in a trial, you may be interested
in finding out what happens.You may already know if you think the
defendant should be found guilty or not guilty - but that may not
always be what the court decides.
How to find out what happened in the trial
If a Witness Care Unit asked you to attend court, it should
inform you of the result. Otherwise, you can find out the result of
the case by contacting the court or you can speak to the person who
asked you to come to court.
Will you be asked to be a witness again after the trial?
You should not usually have to give evidence twice about the
same crime or incident, but it might be necessary in the
following circumstances.
- If a magistrates’ court finds a defendant guilty and his or her
lawyers appeal against the conviction, you may be asked to give
your evidence again.This appeal will be in front of a judge in the
Crown Court, but with two magistrates instead of a jury.
- Defendants convicted by a jury in the Crown Court have a right
of appeal to the Court of Appeal. It is unusual, however, for the
Court of Appeal to want to hear witness evidence again.
- If the jury in a Crown Court case cannot agree on their
verdict, a retrial may take place and you might be asked to give
your evidence again before a different jury.This does not happen
very often.
- A retrial might also be needed if there is a problem with the
trial and the judge or magistrate has to stop the case.You will be
told why this has happened, when the retrial will be, and whether
you should be there.
What happens when you are in
court?