# Witness Management

## Purpose

Witness Management provides a structured witness register inside an existing litigation workspace. It supports witness profiles, case associations, statements, availability, hearing appearances, examinations, linked evidence and exhibits, and relevant communications.

The workspace does not replace Contacts, Documents, Evidence & Exhibits, Communications, Tasks, or Calendar. It links to records managed by those modules and continues to use their access controls.

## Permissions and Matter Access

| Activity | Required permission |
| --- | --- |
| View the witness register and witness details | View Witnesses (`witness_read`) and access to the linked matter |
| Register a witness | Create Witnesses (`witness_create`) and access to the linked matter |
| Edit a witness or update the witness status | Update Witnesses (`witness_update`) and access to the linked matter |
| View or maintain email, phone, and address | View Sensitive Witness Information (`witness_view_sensitive`) |
| Add or update witness statements | Manage Witness Statements (`witness_manage_statements`) |
| Add, edit, or remove availability records | Manage Witness Availability (`witness_manage_availability`) |
| Schedule or update hearing appearances | Manage Witness Appearances (`witness_manage_appearances`) |
| Add or update examination records | Manage Witness Examinations (`witness_manage_examinations`) |
| Finalize an examination or modify a finalized examination | Finalize Witness Examinations (`witness_finalize_examinations`) |

Witness access always respects the linked matter's access restrictions. A user cannot use a direct URL or API request to bypass matter access, witness permissions, document permissions, evidence permissions, or communication permissions.

Sensitive contact details are shown as **Restricted** when the signed-in user lacks permission to view them. Evidence, document, and communication tabs or linked information are also limited by the corresponding module permissions.

## Open the Witness Register

1. Open **Practice > Litigation**.
2. Select the case title or case number.
3. Open the **Witnesses** tab.

The register shows:

- witness name and generated reference;
- witness category;
- overall witness status;
- responsible lawyer;
- next scheduled appearance; and
- available actions.

Use the search field to find a witness by reference, name, email, or phone. You can also filter by witness category or status. Use the pagination controls below the table to move between pages.

### Listing Actions

| Action | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| Eye | Open the witness details modal. |
| Pencil | Edit the witness profile and case-specific association. |
| Refresh | Move the witness to an allowed next status. |

The eye icon opens a read-focused details modal. Edit and status actions remain separate in the table's **Actions** column.

## Register a Witness

1. Open the **Witnesses** tab in the relevant litigation case.
2. Select **Register witness**.
3. Enter the witness's full name.
4. Select the witness category.
5. Enter contact details if you are authorized to manage sensitive witness information.
6. Describe the witness's relationship to the case.
7. Enter the associated party, or select an existing structured case party.
8. Select the responsible lawyer where applicable.
9. Add professional details and expertise, especially for an expert witness.
10. Add general remarks.
11. Select related evidence and matter communications where applicable.
12. Select **Register witness**.

The system assigns:

- a reusable witness profile with a generated reference such as `WIT-000001`;
- a case-specific witness association; and
- the initial status **Identified**.

### Witness Categories

| Category | Typical use |
| --- | --- |
| Fact Witness | A person who directly observed or knows facts relevant to the case. |
| Expert Witness | A person providing specialist or professional opinion evidence. |
| Character Witness | A person providing evidence about an individual's character or reputation. |
| Other | A witness who does not fit another configured category. |

### Avoiding Duplicate Witnesses

Witness identity is stored separately from the witness's relationship to a particular case. When possible, the system reuses an existing witness profile that matches an existing client profile, email address, or phone number.

The same witness profile can be associated with more than one litigation case when the user has access to those cases. The same witness cannot be associated with the same litigation case more than once.

Before registering a similar name, search the current case and verify the email or phone number. If the system reports that the witness is already associated with the case, edit the existing association instead of creating another one.

## View Witness Details

Select the eye icon to open the witness details modal. The modal is organized into tabs so information is not shown all at once.

| Tab | Information shown |
| --- | --- |
| Profile | Identity, permitted contact information, expertise, case association, status history, and accessible associated matters. |
| Statements | Statement records, review statuses, linked documents, and referenced evidence. |
| Availability & hearings | Available or unavailable periods, scheduled hearing appearances, appearance statuses, and conflicts. |
| Examinations | Examination records, summaries, observations, evidence, exhibits, documents, and finalization status. |
| Evidence & exhibits | Witness-related evidence and evidence or exhibits referenced by statements and examinations. |
| Communications & follow-up | Linked matter communications, follow-up dates, responsible users, and generated tasks. |

The **Evidence & exhibits** and **Communications & follow-up** tabs appear only when the signed-in user has access to those modules.

## Edit a Witness

1. Find the witness in the register.
2. Select the pencil icon in the **Actions** column.
3. Update the permitted profile or case-association fields.
4. Select **Update witness**.

Profile fields include name, contact details, professional details, and expertise. Case-specific fields include category, relationship to the case, associated party, responsible lawyer, remarks, related evidence, and linked communications.

Changing case-specific information does not create another witness profile. Be cautious when editing identity or contact details because the profile can be associated with other accessible litigation cases.

## Witness Status Management

The witness's overall status describes their progress in the current litigation case. It is different from their appearance status for a particular hearing.

Select the refresh icon in the witness register, choose an available next status, enter remarks where useful, and select **Update status**.

The controlled lifecycle is:

1. **Identified** to **Contacted** or **Withdrawn**.
2. **Contacted** to **Identified**, **Available**, or **Withdrawn**.
3. **Available** to **Contacted**, **Scheduled**, or **Withdrawn**.
4. **Scheduled** to **Available**, **Completed**, or **Withdrawn**.
5. **Completed** is final.
6. **Withdrawn** is final.

The system rejects skipped or invalid transitions. Each successful change records the previous status, new status, responsible user, date and time, and remarks in the profile tab.

Changing the overall witness status does not schedule a hearing appearance, confirm attendance, or record that the witness appeared. Those actions are managed separately under **Availability & hearings**.

## Witness Statements

### Add a Statement

1. Open the witness details modal.
2. Select **Statements**.
3. Select **Add**.
4. Enter the statement date.
5. Select the statement type.
6. Select the responsible lawyer.
7. Select an existing matter document where applicable.
8. Enter a summary and remarks.
9. Select any evidence referenced by the statement.
10. Select **Save**.

Supported statement types are:

- witness statement;
- affidavit;
- expert report;
- supplementary statement; and
- other.

The system generates a statement reference from the litigation case number and assigns the initial review status **Draft**.

### Document and Evidence Links

The statement document must already exist in Document Management and belong to the litigation matter. Upload and version the file through Documents; Witness Management only links to it.

Referenced evidence must already exist in Evidence & Exhibits and belong to the same litigation case. Linking evidence does not copy or change the evidence record.

### Statement Review Status

Use the refresh icon beside a statement to select an allowed next review status.

1. **Draft** to **Pending Review**.
2. **Pending Review** to **Draft**, **Reviewed**, or **Rejected**.
3. **Reviewed** to **Pending Review**, **Approved**, or **Rejected**.
4. **Rejected** to **Draft**.
5. **Approved** is final.

Each successful transition is preserved in the statement's status history. Approval of a statement does not automatically change the overall witness status.

## Availability

Availability records identify periods during which the witness is available or unavailable.

1. Open the witness details modal.
2. Select **Availability & hearings**.
3. In the **Availability** section, select **Add**.
4. Select **Available** or **Unavailable**.
5. Enter the start and end date and time.
6. Add remarks where useful.
7. Select **Save**.

The end time cannot be earlier than the start time. Use the pencil icon to correct a record or the trash icon to remove it after confirmation.

When availability changes, the system recalculates conflicts for scheduled and confirmed appearances.

## Hearing Appearances

Witness appearances reuse hearings already recorded under **Hearings & proceedings**. Create the hearing before scheduling a witness against it.

### Schedule an Appearance

1. Open the witness details modal.
2. Select **Availability & hearings**.
3. In **Hearing appearances**, select **Add**.
4. Select the hearing.
5. Enter the expected appearance date and time.
6. Enter the participation type, such as fact testimony or expert testimony.
7. Select the responsible lawyer.
8. Add remarks.
9. Select **Save**.

The hearing must belong to the same litigation case. A witness can be linked to many hearings, but cannot be added to the same hearing twice. The initial appearance status is **Scheduled**.

### Availability Conflicts

The register flags a conflict when:

- the expected appearance falls inside a recorded unavailable period; or
- availability windows exist for that date, but the expected appearance falls outside those windows.

A conflict is a warning for review; it does not silently change the hearing or witness schedule. Correct the availability or appearance time, or record the operational decision in remarks.

### Appearance Status

Use the refresh icon beside an appearance to update its status.

1. **Scheduled** to **Confirmed**, **Appeared**, **Did Not Appear**, or **Cancelled**.
2. **Confirmed** to **Appeared**, **Did Not Appear**, or **Cancelled**.
3. **Appeared**, **Did Not Appear**, and **Cancelled** are final.

Confirmation means the witness has confirmed attendance; it does not mean the witness actually appeared. Record **Appeared** only after attendance occurs.

The system preserves appearance status history. Removing an appearance requires confirmation and does not delete the underlying hearing or calendar event.

## Witness Examinations

Supported examination types are:

- examination-in-chief;
- cross-examination;
- re-examination; and
- other.

### Record an Examination

1. Open the witness details modal.
2. Select **Examinations**.
3. Select **Add**.
4. Select the related hearing.
5. Select the examination type.
6. Enter the examination date and time.
7. Select the examining lawyer where applicable.
8. Enter the required examination summary.
9. Add observations.
10. Select referenced evidence, exhibits, and supporting documents.
11. Select **Save**.

The hearing, evidence, exhibits, and documents must belong to the same litigation case or its linked matter. These records remain managed by their original modules and are not duplicated.

### Finalize an Examination

An examination begins in **Draft** status. After confirming that its summary and links are complete, an authorized user can select **Finalize** and confirm the action.

Finalization records the responsible user and time. A user with only Manage Witness Examinations permission cannot modify a finalized record. Modification of a finalized examination requires the separate Finalize Witness Examinations permission.

Finalizing an examination does not change the witness's overall status or the hearing appearance status.

## Evidence and Exhibits

Witness Management can link a witness directly to evidence and can link statements or examinations to relevant evidence and exhibits.

- Direct witness links are selected while registering or editing the witness.
- Statement evidence is selected while adding or editing the statement.
- Examination evidence and exhibits are selected while adding or editing the examination.

Open **Evidence & exhibits** in the witness details modal to review these relationships. Create, classify, transfer, verify, or designate evidence through the existing Evidence & Exhibits workspace.

The system never duplicates evidence metadata or bypasses evidence access restrictions.

## Communications and Follow-Up

Witness interactions continue to be recorded in the existing Communications module against the matter.

To associate a communication with a witness:

1. Record the interaction in Communications.
2. Use its existing follow-up options to set a follow-up date, responsible staff member, or task.
3. Edit the witness from the witness register.
4. Select the communication under **Related matter communications**.
5. Select **Update witness**.

Open **Communications & follow-up** in the witness details modal to review linked interactions and follow-up tasks. Editing or unlinking a communication from the witness does not delete the original communication or task.

## Multiple Litigation Cases and Confidentiality

A witness profile may be associated with multiple litigation cases, but each association stores its own category, status, relationship, party, responsible lawyer, remarks, statements, appearances, and examinations.

The profile tab lists only associated matters that the signed-in user is authorized to access. Access to one matter does not reveal a restricted association in another matter. Sensitive contact fields also require their dedicated permission regardless of matter access.

## Audit and History

Authorized witness operations use the application's existing audit logging. Historical records include:

- witness registration and profile updates;
- witness-to-litigation association changes;
- witness status transitions;
- statement creation, updates, and review-status transitions;
- availability changes;
- hearing appearance changes and appearance-status transitions;
- examination creation, updates, and finalization; and
- linked evidence, exhibit, document, and communication changes.

Status histories remain chronological and identify the responsible user and timestamp. Ordinary editing does not overwrite status transition history.

## Common Issues

### The Witnesses Tab Is Missing

Confirm that you have **View Witnesses** permission and access to the litigation case's linked matter.

### Contact Details Show Restricted

You do not have **View Sensitive Witness Information** permission. Ask an administrator to review your assigned role if access is required for your duties.

### A Document, Evidence Record, Exhibit, Hearing, or Communication Is Not Available

Confirm that:

- the record belongs to the current litigation case or linked matter;
- you have permission to view the source module;
- the record has already been created in that source module; and
- the page has been refreshed after creating the record.

### The System Reports a Duplicate Witness

The witness profile is already associated with the current litigation case. Search the register and edit the existing witness instead.

### An Appearance Shows a Conflict

Review the witness's unavailable periods and available windows, then compare them with the expected appearance time. Update the incorrect availability or appearance record. The system does not automatically reschedule the hearing.

### A Status Is Not Offered

Only valid next statuses are displayed. Complete the intervening lifecycle step, or leave the current status unchanged. Final statuses cannot be reopened through ordinary status actions.

### A Finalized Examination Cannot Be Edited

Finalized examinations are protected. Modification requires **Finalize Witness Examinations** permission. Confirm that a correction is authorized before requesting elevated access.

## Recommended Operating Sequence

1. Create or confirm the litigation case and its hearings.
2. Register the witness and assign the responsible lawyer.
3. Record contact activity through Communications and link relevant interactions.
4. Record availability before scheduling appearances.
5. Add and review witness statements, linking existing documents and evidence.
6. Schedule appearances against existing hearings and resolve flagged conflicts.
7. Update appearance status after confirmation and attendance.
8. Record examinations and link the relevant evidence, exhibits, and documents.
9. Finalize examination records only after review.
10. Update the overall witness status as the case progresses.

This sequence maintains clear separation between the witness's case lifecycle, statement review, hearing attendance, and examination finalization while preserving the history of each workflow.