What is the legal term for the questioning of a witness by the attorney who called them to testify?

The legal term for the questioning of a witness by the attorney who called them to testify is known as direct examination. This phase of the trial is crucial because it allows the attorney to elicit the witness's testimony in a way that supports their case. The attorney will typically ask open-ended questions during direct examination, enabling the witness to provide their account without leading them to specific answers. This is designed to establish a narrative that is beneficial for the party that has summoned the witness.

In contrast, cross-examination refers to the questioning by the opposing attorney, typically designed to challenge the credibility of the witness or the reliability of their testimony. Redirect examination occurs after cross-examination, where the original attorney has an opportunity to clarify or expand upon the witness's testimony in response to the issues raised during cross-examination. Re-cross examination would allow the opposing attorney to ask further questions after redirect. However, these terms do not accurately describe the initial phase of questioning conducted by the attorney who called the witness, which is why direct examination is the correct term in this context.