In Guidelines For The Expert Witness, Judge Timothy T. Daley, Family and Youth Court Judge Province of Nova Scotia, offers trial preparation guidelines including:
When testimony is finished, clarify status as witness.
It is the judge who permits the witness to leave the stand by excusing the witness. This means the witness is free to stay in the court or leave. The witness may however, be required to remain for further testimony or return as the court instructs. If the latter occurs and the witness has other matters to attend, the witness may explain this to the court and ask for another time to attend. The court may or may not grant the request.
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