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Witness entitlements and claims
Witnesses are able to make a claim for their expenses from attending court, such as travel and meals.
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Most witnesses will be entitled to meal expenses when they go to court to give evidence. Other expenses you might be able to claim are travel, accommodation, and, if you have to take time off work you can claim an attendance allowance. If you have children in your care and your family and friends can’t look after them, you might also be able to claim childcare costs.

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice sets the rates for witness expenses. You can ask the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer any questions you have about them.   

Meals

You can claim an allowance for every meal you have while you are at the court house to give your evidence, or travelling to and from court. There is no need to keep receipts, you are paid a set rate for each meal.

If you have to stay overnight to give evidence, you can claim an allowance that includes both your meals and accommodation (see Accommodation plus meals below).

Travel

You can claim the actual cost of travelling by public transport to court and home again. Keep your tickets or receipts. If you use an Opal card your statement can be your record of your trip.

If you can’t easily get to court by public transport, you can travel in your own vehicle and claim an amount for every kilometre you have to drive. If there is no public transport available and you don’t have a car, talk to the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer about whether you should hire one.

If you need to travel by air, make sure you tell the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer as soon as possible. It’s important not to organise your own air travel unless you have written approval to do so.

Accommodation plus meals

If you need to stay overnight to attend court, you can claim a ‘daily’ 24-hour allowance to cover your accommodation and meals. If you have to be away for more than 24 hours, you can claim an extra payment for each extra hour.

You can choose your own accommodation, but just remember the allowance is the same no matter where you stay.

Let the police officer in charge (OIC), the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer know if you are having difficulty finding or booking accommodation, including if want to stay somewhere that you need a credit card to book and you don’t have one.

You can claim the daily allowance for accommodation plus meals even if you stay with family and friends, provided you have to be away overnight to be able to get to court on time.

Attendance

You can claim an attendance allowance if you lose wages or income when you go to court to give evidence, and you have written proof of this. The allowance is a contribution only, it won’t cover what most witnesses would normally earn in the time.

You can claim a half-day allowance if you are at court for up to four hours, and a full-day allowance if you are there for four hours or more.

If you are an employee, you will need a letter from your employer as proof of lost wages. If you are a contractor or self-employed you will need to sign a statutory declaration stating you have lost income from going to court. Talk to the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer about making an attendance claim.
 

Can I claim childcare costs?

If your family and friends aren’t able to look after your children when you go to court, let the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer know as soon as possible. They may be able to arrange for you to claim childcare costs.

If you have to be away overnight to give your evidence, ask the ODPP prosecutor or WAS officer as soon as possible about what expenses you can claim or what arrangements can be made to make sure your children are looked after.

Can I get expenses in advance?

Yes, the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer can arrange for you to be paid expenses in advance to make sure you can get to court.

If I don’t get an advance, how do I make a claim?

If you don’t receive all your witness expenses in advance, a OIC at court will help you fill out a witness expense claim form after you have given your evidence. The money will be transferred to your bank account electronically – you won’t receive it that day.

Can my support person claim expenses?

If you are entitled to have a support person in court with you and they need financial assistance to attend, they may be able to claim travel and accommodation expenses. Check with the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer before your court date to see whether this can be arranged

What if I stay in the courtroom after I give my evidence?

It’s important to know that if you choose to stay in the courtroom after you have given your evidence and been excused by the court, you won’t be able to claim witness expenses for this extra time.

What expenses can I claim for attending a conference at your office?

If we ask you to come to our office for a conference (meeting) and you need financial help to attend – for example, if you have to travel a long distance and / or stay overnight – we can pay you the same travel and accommodation expenses that you can claim for going to court.

Talk to the ODPP prosecutor or your WAS officer about this before your conference date.

Can I claim expenses for attending a sentence hearing?

Witness expenses are not paid for attending a sentencing hearing. However, the ODPP will consider providing support in limited circumstances. Talk to the ODPP prosecutor about whether this may apply to you.