Ollie'sPolice Handbook
All procedures
Statements

Writing an MG11 Witness Statement

Best practice for taking a witness statement that will stand up at court.

The steps

  1. 1

    Header & declaration

    Witness's full name, age over/under 18, occupation. The statement of truth declaration must be signed before any content.

  2. 2

    Chronological account

    First person, past tense. Date, time, location, weather, lighting where relevant.

  3. 3

    Five senses

    What they saw, heard, smelt, felt, tasted. Avoid assumptions.

  4. 4

    Identification

    Description of suspects: build, height, age, ethnicity, clothing, distinguishing features. Anchor descriptions to the witness's perspective.

  5. 5

    Exhibits

    Reference any exhibits seized or produced (e.g. CCTV, clothing) by exhibit number and producer's initials.

  6. 6

    Sign each page

    Witness signs each page; officer signs as taker. Note time the statement was completed.

Watch outs

  • Do NOT lead the witness — open questions only.
  • Capture significant statements verbatim, in quotation marks.

References