A witness-training company last week called for national guidelines to be issued in the wake of a trial that was halted because of prosecution allegations that witness training was an abuse of process.


The directors of InPractice - three of whom are lawyers with London firm RadcliffesLeBrasseur, which owns half the company - said the issue of training was addressed for the first time in court last month in R v Barbara Salisbury.



In his judgment in Chester Crown Court, Mr Justice Pitchford said the witnesses - who were hospital staff - were entitled to the training that InPractice offered, which amounted to a process of familiarisation with court processes and preparing to give evidence. The trial was resumed.


Kate Hill, an associate at Radcliffes and director of InPractice, said there were grey areas that some witness-training companies might stray beyond by attempting to coach witnesses.


She said: 'We think the law should be proactive rather than reactive, that's why we are asking the government to issue guidelines.'