Matthew GarrettAnother English legal system thread! Following on from my one on settlements (https://nondeterministic.computer/@mjg59/116303125691364336) let's talk about evidence. There's rules about this as well (https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part32), but the short version is that any evidence someone will testify to must be provided in the form of a written witness statement that is provided to the other side before the trial. In general a witness will not be allowed to give evidence that isn't present in their witness statement.
One obvious consequence of this is that if you don't provide a witness statement, you can't provide evidence at trial. This is true even if you're directly involved in the case. So, if you intend to offer evidence, it's vital to write a witness statement (which is purely a description of what you know that's relevant to the case), attach a statement of truth, and send it to everyone involved by the date provided at the Case Management Conference
Matthew MillerBut this goes against the plot of (checks notes) every legal drama TV show and movie ever!
@mattdm To be fair, different jurisdictions take very different approaches to this