Legal Definitions - corroborating witness

A corroborating witness is a person who provides additional evidence or testimony that supports and strengthens the credibility of another witness's statement or a piece of evidence already presented in a legal case. Their testimony doesn't necessarily introduce entirely new facts but confirms existing ones, making the original account more believable and robust.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Criminal Trial - Robbery: Imagine a convenience store owner testifies that a specific individual, Mr. Smith, robbed their store at gunpoint. A corroborating witness might be a customer who was outside the store at the time and testifies that they saw Mr. Smith, matching the owner's description, running from the store with a bag shortly after the alarm sounded. This customer's testimony supports the store owner's identification and account of the robbery, making it more credible to the jury.

• Civil Lawsuit - Car Accident: Consider a personal injury lawsuit where Driver A claims that Driver B ran a red light, causing a collision. Driver A testifies to this sequence of events. A corroborating witness could be a pedestrian who was waiting at the intersection and testifies that they clearly saw Driver B's vehicle enter the intersection after the light had turned red. The pedestrian's independent observation strengthens Driver A's claim about Driver B's negligence, providing additional support for the facts presented.

• Workplace Investigation - Harassment: Suppose an employee reports to Human Resources that their supervisor has been making inappropriate and demeaning comments to them over several months. A corroborating witness might be a colleague who testifies that they personally overheard the supervisor making similar inappropriate comments to the reporting employee on multiple occasions. This colleague's testimony supports the reporting employee's account of ongoing harassment, adding significant weight to the claim during the internal investigation.