Careful what you say online

Apparently some lawyers will go to all lengths in order to defend their clients. On occasion they even attempt to discredit victims in order to defend the alleged aggressor.

In these modern communication times many people use websites such as Hi5, Facebook, Blogs, etc. in order to communicate with other people, exchange friendship, ideas and views, to name but a few options. Most of the time the info listed is humorous, untrue or to be taken with a pinch of salt.

However, one can never imagine that info listed on a website could one day be used by some lawyers as a tool for some shameful character assassination against a victim.

In a recent case, a victim of an attempted murder had a personal page on a particular website where he described himself in a certain way. In court, the defence lawyer seemed to imply that, since one writes such things about oneself on a website, then the person should not be taken seriously even under oath.

May I humbly ask then what is the normal procedure for a witness to be believed when testifying in court? What sort of oath can one take if, for example, this person is Roman Catholic but not a regular churchgoer? Should his/her evidence be thrown out of court straight away? What would be the requirements to take an oath if one has a different religion or, for example, one believes in just the Pyramids of Giza?

Should one bring along a miniature statue of Tutankhamun and take an oath on that or would our courts make other arrangements?

May I give any future victims some advice? If you publish personal info on any website please make sure you describe yourself as a full Roman Catholic, a regular churchgoer and declare that the only band you listen to are the local church choir boys.