Courtroom Objections Legend

Credit: His Hon. Jeffrey Gazzledorf

Objection Term	Meaning
Relevance	“That has nothing to do with the case.” The evidence or question doesn’t help prove anything important.
Hearsay	“They’re repeating something they didn’t see or hear directly.” It’s second-hand info, not from direct experience.
Leading Question	“You’re suggesting the answer in your question.” This usually isn’t allowed during direct examination.
Speculation	“They can’t know that.” The witness is guessing about something they don’t have direct knowledge of.
Opinion (without expert qualification)	“They’re not an expert.” The person is giving an opinion they aren’t qualified to give.
Argumentative	“You’re not asking a real question, you’re just arguing.” The lawyer is confronting the witness instead of asking questions.
Asked and Answered	“That’s already been covered.” The same question has already been asked and answered.
Compound Question	“That’s two questions in one.” The question is confusing or asks multiple things at once.
Vague or Ambiguous	“The question isn’t clear.” It’s hard to know what the lawyer is really asking.
Assumes Facts Not in Evidence	“You’re including facts that haven’t been proven yet.” The question assumes something as true without evidence.
Misstates the Evidence	“That’s not what the evidence said.” The lawyer is twisting or misstating what was said earlier.
Improper Character Evidence	“They’re bringing up unrelated past behaviour.” This often includes past crimes or habits that aren’t relevant to this case.
Lack of Foundation	“You haven’t shown how this witness knows that.” The lawyer hasn’t set up enough context for the question or evidence.
Non-Responsive	“They didn’t answer the question.” The witness is dodging the question or going off-topic.
Calls for a Narrative	“They’re rambling.” The question prompts the witness to give a long, unstructured answer instead of short facts.
Improper Impeachment	“You’re attacking the witness unfairly.” The lawyer is trying to discredit the witness in a way that isn’t allowed.