deponent:
(also, especially in American usage: ‘affiant‘; plural: ‘deponents‘)
(a deponent taking an oath before making a deposition)
a person who makes a written statement on oath for use in a court of law, called ‘deposition’, before the actual trial of a case begins;
one who gives evidence voluntarily, usually in a court of law, before the actual trial of a case begins;
an attestor, because he attests some statement; a deposer, because he gives a deposition; a testifier, because he testifies something,
(lawyers preparing depositions for their deponents at a video conference table)
To put it in a nutshell, a deponent is like a witness — a person who makes a statement on an issue before the actual trail of the case begins, usually at a lawyer’s office, is a deponent, and a person who testifies something or makes a statement at the time of the trial of a case in a court of law is a witness.
A deponent may be called on as a witness at the time of the actual trial of a court case.
Whether a person is a deponent or a witness, he/she must be extremely careful and watchful of what he/she says or what the lawyers ask him/her because if a deposition signed by a deponent or a statement made by a witness is proved wrong or false, the deponent or witness is liable to be punished… punished severely in some high profile criminal cases!
About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
