ABSTRACT
Any discussion of witnesses might best begin with the basic distinction between a percipient or lay witness and an expert witness (Bronstein, 1999), A percipient witness is a witness who testifies to facts and perceptions, and who is not permitted to provide opinions to the court. A psychologist could be called as a percipient witness. For example, the psychologist might be asked if a given person was, in fact, their patient and was that person in session with them at 3:00 PM on January 4,1999. The psychologist, as a percept witness, would not be allowed to answer a question as to why that patient was in therapy with them because that would involve the psychologist providing an opinion, unless the psychologist was simply providing witness to the statement made by the patient as to why they said they were in therapy.
