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Children as Witnesses
Helping Young People Give Their Evidence in Court, Helping Courts Hear the Evidence of Children
Child Witness Court Preparation
Pamela Hurley, Karen Scarth & Lynda Stevens (2002)
This is the first in a series of five manuals produced in 2002 by the
Child Witness Project. Includes best practice guidelines, overview of the referral and intake process, how to assess court-related fears and anxieties, instruction on the components of court preparation, assessing and advocating for the use of testimonials aids, and understanding the impact of trauma on children and adolescents and related implications for their experiences as witnesses. 52 p.
Please note that laws referenced in this manual are from prior to the reforms prompted by Bill C-2 in 2006. For information on current Canadian laws, see the "Full and Candid Account" resource mentioned at the bottom of this page. For a complete guide on preparing children for court testimony, see the "Helping a Child Testify" manual from 2011 listed below.
Download the Manual in pdf Format
 Child Witness Court Preparation 
Two Newer Resources
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A Full and Candid Account: Using Special Accommodations and Testimonial Aids to Facilitate the Testimony of Children (2007)
Seven concise resources to help prosecutors, victim-support workers, judges, police and others understand and meet the needs of children who testify in court. The goal of these efforts is to help the witness provide complete and accurate evidence, or "a full and candid account." Topics covered are: overview of issues related to child testimony, testifying outside the courtroom (e.g., via CCTV), witness screens, video-recorded evidence, designated support person, hearsay evidence and children, and children and teenagers who testify in domestic violence cases. Development and distribution of this resource was funded by the Policy Centre for Victim Issues, Department of Justice Canada.
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Helping a Child be a Witness in Court: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do (2011)
by Alison Cunningham & Lynda Stevens
Across this large and diverse county, a variety of people support child and teen victim/witnesses as they wait for the resolution of a criminal case and perhaps when they are called to testify in court. In most urban areas, court-based victim services assist crime victims to understand and play a role in criminal prosecutions. Where no court-based victim service is available, as in some remote or rural areas, pre-court support can be provided by police officers, school teachers, counsellors, child protection workers, shelter staff, or maybe parents. This guide is a convenient overview of essential information needed to support a testifying child. It could also be a training tool for people entering the victim-support field or for victim-support workers who have historically worked with adults. The Centre is grateful for funding from the Department of Justice to support the development and distribution of this resource across Canada.
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