Witness Statement Skeleton
CPR-compliant skeleton witness statement with statement of truth, for use in County Court or Employment Tribunal proceedings.
When to use this template
Use this skeleton to draft your own witness statement for court or tribunal proceedings. A witness statement stands as your evidence-in-chief in civil proceedings — the judge reads it before you give evidence, and you will be cross-examined on its contents. It must contain only facts within your direct knowledge.
When NOT to use this template
Do not include hearsay (things others told you) without identifying it as hearsay. Do not include argument, legal submissions, or opinion (unless you are an expert witness). Witness statements for criminal proceedings use a different format (MG11 form for police statements).
Legal Basis
Civil Procedure Rules, Practice Direction 32 (evidence); PD 57AC (witness statements in the Business and Property Courts); Employment Tribunal Rules 2013, r.41. The statement of truth is required under CPR r.22.1 — making a false statement of truth is a contempt of court.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Writing in the third person rather than the first person
- ✗Including legal argument rather than factual narrative
- ✗Not numbering paragraphs sequentially
- ✗Signing without understanding the statement of truth — it is a serious declaration
- ✗Not exhibiting documents referred to in the statement (exhibits must be labelled and attached)
Build Your Letter
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Letter preview
IN THE [NAME OF COURT OR TRIBUNAL] CLAIM/CASE NUMBER: [CASE OR CLAIM NUMBER] BETWEEN: [CLAIMANT / APPLICANT NAME] (Claimant / Applicant) — and — [DEFENDANT / RESPONDENT NAME] (Defendant / Respondent) --- **WITNESS STATEMENT OF [YOUR FULL NAME (WITNESS)]** I, [YOUR FULL NAME (WITNESS)], of [YOUR ADDRESS], [YOUR OCCUPATION], WILL SAY as follows: **Introduction** 1. I am the [YOUR ROLE IN THE PROCEEDINGS] in these proceedings. I make this statement in support of [PURPOSE OF THIS STATEMENT]. 2. The matters set out in this statement are within my own knowledge, unless otherwise stated. Where I refer to information provided by others, I identify the source and believe the information to be true. Where I refer to documents, I identify them by their exhibit reference. 3. Exhibited to this statement are the documents I refer to, collectively marked "[EXHIBIT LABEL (E.G. YOUR INITIALS AND NUMBER)]". **Background** 4. [BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH (YOUR RELEVANT HISTORY)] **Events giving rise to this claim** 5. [FIRST EVENTS PARAGRAPH] 6. [SECOND EVENTS PARAGRAPH] 7. [THIRD EVENTS PARAGRAPH] **Conclusion** [CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH] --- **STATEMENT OF TRUTH** I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth. Signed: ___________________________ Full name: [YOUR FULL NAME (WITNESS)] Date: [DATE OF SIGNING]
Unfilled fields appear as [FIELD NAME]. Review the letter carefully before sending. This template is a starting point — adapt it to your specific circumstances.