Define competency and how it could impact a witness's testimony.

What will be an ideal response?


The term "competency" refers to a witness's personal qualifications for testifying in court. Competency must be established before a witness is permitted to give any testimony. The witness's personal qualification depends on circumstances that affect his or her legal ability to function as a sworn witness in court. Competency has nothing to do with the believability of a witness's information. Among the factors an investigator must evaluate in determining the competency of a witness are age, level of intelligence, mental state, relationship to individuals involved in the case, and background characteristics that might preclude the testimony of the witness from being heard in court.

Criminal Justice

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