Skip to content

Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht

right to refuse to give evidence

noun TSOYG-nis-fer-vy-ge-roongs-rekht Rare

Usage Note

Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht entitles specific categories of witnesses — close relatives, lawyers, clergy, doctors — to decline testimony without penalty; it protects the relationship of trust with the accused.

Examples

"Als Ehefrau des Angeklagten hatte sie das Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht."

Natural Translation

As the accused's wife, she had the right to refuse to give evidence.

Literal Translation

As wife of the accused had she the right-to-refuse-testimony.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic