Summons to Witness

When and How to Summons a Witness

If there is any concern that a witness may not attend voluntarily on the day they’re scheduled to give evidence, you may need to issue them a summons. A summons is a legal document that requires a person to attend a Tribunal hearing, and in some cases, to bring specified documents to the hearing. This tool can be especially important if there's concern a witness may not come to the hearing or needs the summons to be absent from work.

You are responsible for making sure that your witnesses come to the hearing on the date set for hearing their evidence. The Tribunal’s Practice Direction on How to Summons a Witness outlines this process.