Recently, a few witnesses for the trial of Oscar Pistorius have declined to appear because of the major publicity behind the case.

Barry Roux, one of Pistorius' legal team said that the witnesses did not want "their voices all over the world."

Since the beginning of the trial on March 3, the media has been all over the details of the case. According to BBC, it is the very first case in South Africa to have reached this kind of attention. It was also the only televised trial in the nation.

Roux said that the defense will have no more witnesses to call. He said he had asked Judge Thokozile Masipa not to force the witnesses to appear.

"There's nothing that we can do about it," said Roux.

He also refused to name the witnesses who backed out.

The lawsuit is nearing its end as the prosecution is asked to have a written argument submitted by July 30. The defense shall submit their rebuttal by August 4. Afterwards, the court will resume on August 7 to hear the final appeals from the legal teams. Then, the court will adjourn to give time for the judge and the assessors to evaluate the verdict.

In South Africa, there are no juries to assist the judge. Therefore, Pistorius' fate will be under the decision of Judge Masipa and two other assessors.

Masipa warned the legal teams to keep the documents in private before they are forwarded to the court.

If Pistorius is to be convicted of murder, the athlete could face a lifetime in prison.