Jetliner... you say..
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Originally Posted by Jetliner
The way I'm taking what jim is saying is that in the UK a lawyer wouldn't have to be sworn in if they were in a position of having to give testimony. But in the US everyone who testifies, must be sworn in first.
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How did you interpret it this way? I said..
Quote:
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If however, a lawyer goes on the witness stand they must be sworn in just like any other witness
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Anyway, without getting too technical... in the UK, a solicitor (but not a barrister, a distinction which does not apply in the US) CAN attend a small claims court. However, the proceedings remain informal.
As in the US, anyone who lies under oath has committed perjury. Lawyers who mislead the court, whether sworn in or not, are in breach of their duty as officers of the court and potentially subject to sanctions, which I believe can include contempt of court proceedings and professional disbarrment.