Are witnesses required to appear at the first-instance trial?
A witness is obliged to attend a hearing pursuant to the Court’s summons.
The trial panel shall proceed with the hearing in the absence of a witness who previously provided testimony directly to the Court or submitted his/her testimony to the Court.
The trial panel will decide to postpone the hearing if the absence of a witness from the hearing affects an objective and comprehensive settlement of the case. In some cases, a witness may be escorted to the hearing pursuant to a decision of the trial panel, unless they are minors.