Witnesses in Ireland are people who have been called to give evidence in court.
The witness's name is called and he or she goes into the witness box at one side of the judge. He or she will stand in the witness box to repeat the oath or affirmation and then will sit down.
The witness will then be asked a series of questions by the barristers (or solicitors) in the case. The witness's function is to give evidence to the court. For example, the witness may have seen a robbery take place and may be able to tell the court what he or she saw. This evidence may help the judge or the jury to make its decision.
Further information about being a witness in a court case in Ireland is available in our section on Witnesses.