Five Oaths Outside Court and the Window Left Open for Confession

If a man adjured witnesses five times outside the court, and afterward they came into court and admitted the truth, one might think they are liable; Scripture says "if he does not tell" (Leviticus 5:1). The rule applies only where, if this man tells, the other becomes obligated for money - and where is that? In court. From here the sages said: if he adjured them five times outside the court and they denied knowledge, then came into court and admitted the truth, they are exempt. If they admitted the truth outside but denied it in court, they are liable. If he adjured them five times before the court and they denied knowledge, they are liable only once. Rabbi Yishmael said: what is the reason? Because they can no longer retract and confess. If both witnesses denied together, they are liable. If one after the other, the first is liable. If one denied and the other confessed, the one who denied is liable. If there were two sets of witnesses and the first set denied and then the second set denied, both are liable, because the testimony could have been established through either of them. Rav Pappa said to Abaye: they are not liable until they deny knowledge in court. If so, even the oath itself must be in court - in court yes, outside court no? That cannot enter your mind, for it was taught that "in one" (Leviticus 5:5) comes to make one liable for each and every oath. But we learned: if he adjured them five times in court and they denied, they are liable only once - and Rabbi Shimon said the reason is that they can no longer retract and confess. Learn from this, then, that the oath may be outside the court while the denial must be in court.