JUDICIOUS TEARS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17452, 12 May 1922, Page 12

JUDICIOUS TEARS.

Do men or women make the better witnesses P A barrister gives bis point of view that the first essential in a good witness is that he or she shouldanswer questions readily with brevity. When readiness expands into diffuseness. it necessarily loses much of its merit. Five times out of six when a witness is told not to run on, as the ■ judge has to take a note of what is said, it is a woman who receives tho request. Again, a large proportion of those witnesses whom it is difficult to get to speak up—or at all—is, supplied by the fair sex. To the credit of tho women, however, must be set the fact that" where a witness asks counsel to repeat a question —-obviously see km j time, in which to find the answer that gives least away—that witness is usually a man. This wariness produces a bad impression. Women, as a rule, seem to be more at ease in the witness-box than do men. This is because they do not, obviously, take pains to appear at ease. <A woman never leans forward with her arms on the ledge in front of her. Many, a well-meaning man does io, and is sharply told by the judge "not to 101 l about." It is an open question whether' tears—practically confined to women witnesses —add to the effect of evidence or "■ not. They produce momentary sympathy, but are. apt to engender distrust. Pluckiriess is reckoned to have much greater verdictwinning power than has emotion. N'o. one, however, can deny the value of a judicious tear or two at exactly the right moment.