Oral testimony is giving a verbal statement to inform others about an event. It is commonly used in the justice system and requires the speaker to be truthful. Professionals such as teachers and coaches also give oral testimony to educate listeners.
Oral testimony is nothing more than giving a verbal statement to a regulatory figure or group of individuals, usually in order to provide a dialogue about an event that occurred. For example, an employee may be called before a board to explain recent losses to the organization, or a professional attending a seminar may be asked to share perspectives with the rest of the group. Both of these incidents qualify as oral testimony because they were given as an official statement in order to educate others. The other aspect of oral testimony usually requires the speaker to be truthful, which is why the court system requires witnesses to swear to tell the truth.
Perhaps the most common place oral testimony is used is within the justice system and criminal law. Police officers, district attorneys, judges and jurors all hear testimony to decide the outcome of a trial, but before the court date is reached, dozens or even hundreds of statements are typically collected. Law enforcement will interview witnesses and request verbal statements that are often recorded, then these conversations will be replayed for decision makers as a case is built. If the incident does indeed go to trial, the various witnesses will likely be asked to testify before a judge and jurors.
Typically in proceedings where official oral testimony is heard, the session will begin with an introduction by the speaker and other participants within the room. Often the speaker is given a statement about perjury or the penalties for not being honest. That person will usually be asked a series of simplistic questions to appear on the record: things like his current address, his position within the company he works for, or his age and marital status are common. Once the official statement about the incident begins, the speaker can share his recollection of the event in question.
By definition, oral testimony includes any event in which the speaker’s primary purpose is to educate the listeners. This means that professionals such as teachers, journalists and various forms of coaches testify every day. Indeed, sharing a story with a child or group of children would also qualify as oral testimony, so a prerequisite is not so much who the listeners are as the quality and veracity of the dialogue being shared.
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