We do not lie; truth is subjective – Lawyer clarifies

Lawyer and Founding Member of the Social Bridge, Bridget Atta Konadu has debunked and corrected the perception of lawyers being liars.

In an interview with Eunice Tornyi on the African Women’s Voices show which airs on eTV Ghana, she explained that what someone can perceive to be their truth may not be the same truth for the other party and this is why there is the independent, neutral judge in the courtroom to listen to both sides of the story and make a verdict.

“The truth is subjective. Your truth might not be my truth so usually, in court, you don’t say ‘My Lord, she’s lying. You say My Lord, what she’s saying is not true’ because what you might perceive to be your truth might be different from my truth. My experience is subjective to me. I might have misunderstood your truth so that is why we go to court”, she said.

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante, also a lawyer, added that in law when it is a civil matter, there’s something called the preponderant of the probabilities on which she gave an instance to explain further.

“If I say a bottle is red and you say it is black, it is only how I am able to use facts to prove that the bottle is red and how well you are also able to use facts to prove how black the bottle is so that a third person can come to a conclusion.

Lawyers don’t lie. It is just that with the truth, it is based on evidence and how well you’re able to present your case. It is based on the evidence that you’re able to adduce, the circumstances and how probable your story is as opposed to the other party that will help you win a case”, the lawyer further concluded.