Meaning & use
court witness box
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableBritishlegal
The raised enclosed place in a court where a witness stands or sits while giving evidence.
Grammar: Countable; usually used with the: the witness box. Plural: witness boxes.
Patterns
- in the witness box
- enter the witness box
- leave the witness box
The clerk asked the next witness to step into the court witness box.
She spent two hours in the court witness box answering questions about the contract.
Photographs are not usually allowed while someone is in the court witness box.
Word forms
| plural | court witness boxes |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the witness box
- He looked nervous in the witness box.
- take the witness box
- The doctor will take the witness box after lunch.
- step down from the witness box
- She stepped down from the witness box and returned to her seat.
Synonyms and how they differ
- witness stand
- The standard American term for the same place; use it in US legal writing.
- dock
- The dock is where the accused person sits, not where witnesses give evidence.
Word family
Commonly confused: court witness box or witness stand? court witness box or jury box?
court witness box vs witness stand
Same meaning but American; British speakers say witness box.
court witness box vs jury box
The jury box is where the jury sits, not where witnesses testify.
Practice
The lawyer asked the witness to return to ___.
Choose one answer.
A witness gives evidence from the witness box, so 'the court witness box' fits. 'The dock' is where the accused sits, and 'the jury box' is for the jury.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “court witness box”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.