2 min read•Free practical guide

Write what you remember in your own words

Begin with the date you are writing, the event you are describing and your role in it. Record what you personally saw, heard or did. Use ordinary language. It is better to acknowledge a gap than to fill it with an explanation that merely seems likely.

Keep the first note. If you later remember something else, add a dated note explaining the addition rather than silently rewriting the original. A clear history of your notes can help an adviser understand how the account developed.

Separate memory from other information

Identify the difference between direct recollection and something another person told you. If a document helped refresh your memory, note which document and when you looked at it. Do not present something learned afterwards as if you observed it at the time.

Avoid jointly drafting accounts with other witnesses or trying to make everyone’s wording match. Different recollections and levels of certainty are useful information. Your role is to describe your own experience, not to produce the most persuasive version of events.

  • What do I remember directly?
  • Which details am I uncertain about?
  • What have I learned from someone else?
  • Which documents have I consulted?
  • What important context could change how this is understood?

Use dates carefully

Write an exact date only when you know it. Otherwise describe the basis of an estimate, such as “the week after the meeting shown in E004”. Distinguish the event time from a message timestamp or the time you first heard about it.

Do not adopt legal conclusions as substitutes for facts. Explaining what someone said or did gives an adviser something to assess. Labels such as “dishonest” or “harassment” do not by themselves explain the underlying events.

Prepare for the formal process

A personal note is not automatically a compliant witness statement. Formal statements may need a particular format, a statement of truth and other requirements. Some courts and proceedings impose additional rules. Your solicitor or the responsible investigator should guide that process.

Free first step: write a one-page recollection and list the records that might help check it. If you need a structured interview, a statement or help locating a witness, ask PDC about the scope and explain whether proceedings have started. Keep the material private and agree a suitable transfer method before sending it.

Questions you may have

Should I remove an uncertain detail?

Describe the uncertainty honestly. Your adviser can assess relevance; inventing precision or hiding a gap can make the account less useful.

Can this guide produce a signed witness statement?

No. It helps you prepare a personal note. The formal requirements depend on the proceeding and should be checked by the responsible legal adviser.

Sources & further reading

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