Those fundamental issues impact on witnesses' willingness to give evidence and must be tackled.As a justice of the peace with more than 10 years' experience on the bench in the district court, I am fully aware of the stress, nervous tension and—at times—distress that some witnesses feel when they are called on to give evidence in cases that within the scheme of things are relatively minor compared with cases that are tried in the sheriff court or the High Court.As the gravity of the offence increases for those witnesses, so does the trauma of being required to give evidence.