“the well-behaved witness”

Fionnuala O’Connor, in today’s Irish Times [subs req], opens with a short paragraph which makes me wonder whether she thinks the “well-behaved witness” is also obliged to avoid asking ‘stupid’ questions?

New eras do not arrive fully formed. The first period obliges the well-behaved witness occasionally to widen eyes, lodge tongue firmly in upper cheek, whistle softly.

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