Mr Castresana also accused the government of failing to boost the powers and resources of the justice system a witness-protection programme now exists in name only, after the government stopped funding safe houses, for instance.

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After the mishandling of her details by the criminal justice system, the Metropolitan Police offered to put Sarah into witness protection, but she could not bear the thought of being separated from her family so she declined.

BBC: UK

We make perjury, subornation of perjury, obstruction of justice and witness tampering crimes because a judicial system can only succeed if its procedures expose the truth.

CNN: Transcript: House Judiciary Committee

Yet opening a financial system to the outside world carries dramatic risks witness the tide of hot money into China's neighbours that led to the Asian financial crisis at the end of the 1990s.

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But such objections hardly reflect the public view, increasingly strongly held, that the police are untrustworthy and ineffectual and that the judicial system is prey to the influence of a body politic that is itself corrupt: witness the dismally long list of politicians convicted of corruption or under investigation.

ECONOMIST: French justice

Our system of justice recognizes the difficulties inherent in testifying under oath and it affords important protections for the witness who may be charged with perjury.

CNN: Transcript: White House Counsel Ruff's opening statement

The service is run by Glasgow City Council and is not part of the criminal justice system, but experts say it is crucial in keeping victims safe and helping them bear witness against their attackers.

BBC: Inside Scotland's only domestic abuse court