Going to court to give evidence as a victim or witness
Expenses for going to court
You can ask for expenses when you go to court as a:
- prosecution witness - from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
- defence witness - from the defence lawyer
Your employer does not have to pay you for your time off work.
There’s a different process for claiming expenses in Scotland and claiming expenses in Northern Ireland.
Prosecution witnesses
You can claim for expenses from the CPS. There are limits on how much you can claim, but the CPS can pay for things like:
- food and drink
- travel costs
- overnight stays
- loss of earnings
- childcare costs or adult care costs
- other expenses, like visas
After you’ve been to court, make your claim online.
Defence witnesses
If the court usher does not give you an expenses form, ask the court or the defence lawyer if you’re able to claim expenses for your time in court.
Get help with claiming expenses
Ask the Citizens Advice Witness Service for help.
If you’re a prosecution witness, you can also ask:
- the court usher
- a member of CPS staff, like the prosecution lawyer or their paralegal assistant - they’ll meet you when you arrive at court