25 September Case Updates Good practice points in asylum and immigration psychiatric reports Credibility, Expert Report, Judicial critism, Expert anonymity, Exaggeration, Feigning, Istanbul Protocol, Remote Assessment The report of an expert in psychiatry was undermined by his acceptance of the appellent's account which, unbeknown to him, a previous tribunal had found to lack credibility. The court also attached less weight to the expert's assessment than it did to a hospital letter because the assessment had been conducted remotely. Chahal v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] UKAITUR UI2024001451
25 September Day in the life A Day in the Life of a Water Quality Expert 11. Report Writing, Expert Witness Training, Drinking Water, Pollution Tim White is a chartered chemist who uses his expertise to assess chemical risk from exposure to water. He has been an Expert Witness for over 40 years, advising on cases relating to water quality, land contamination and corrosion.
23 September News Quarterly Update on EWI's Advocacy Work forensic science regulator, Civil Procedure Rule Committee, 06. Rules and Regulations, Transparency and Open Justice Board, Legal Aid, Expert Fees, Advocacy, Health Care Professions Council, Housing Condition Strategy Group, Scottish Justice Council One of the key roles of the Expert Witness Institute is to ensure that policy, rule and regulatory changes are informed by the experience of our members and the needs of the expert witness community and the wider justice system. In this update, we discuss our work in this area over the last 3 months.
20 September News October 1st Amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules arbitration, Civil Procedure Rules, 06. Rules and Regulations On 1 October 2024, the latest amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules will come into force.
19 September News Family Procedure Rule Committee Consultation on New Draft Practice Direction 27A Expert reports, Family Procedure Rule Committee, 06. Rules and Regulations, Family Procedure Rules, Bundles The Family Procedure Rule Committee is consulting on a new draft Practice Direction 27A on court bundles.
18 September News The Single Biggest Change White Paper 06. Rules and Regulations, 11. Report Writing, 03. Setting Fees and Getting Paid, 07. Receiving Instructions, 08. Working with Instructing Parties, 09. Being instructed as a Single Joint Expert, 12. Responding to questions, 13. Experts Discussions and Joint Statements, 15. Giving Oral Evidence, 16. Criticism and Complaints, 10. Records Assessments and Site Visits Earlier this year, we asked our members about the single biggest change they’ve seen since they started practicing as an Expert Witness. With members from numerous disciplines who’ve been practicing from 40 years to 4 months, we expected a wide variety of insights, and we weren’t disappointed.
17 September Case Updates Cardiotocograph – normal or abnormal Obstetrics, Midwifery, 11. Report Writing, 15. Giving Oral Evidence, 16. Criticism and Complaints This case is primarily of interest to obstetricians, illustrating the court’s approach to the disputed interpretation of cardiotocographic evidence. There were no midwifery issues as such, but it may be of some interest to midwifery experts. The general learning points speak for themselves without reading the summary. Woods v Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2024] EWHC 1432 (KB)
16 September Podcast Podcast Episode 4: Expert Fees 06. Rules and Regulations, 01. Starting your Expert Witness Business, 03. Setting Fees and Getting Paid, Legal Aid, Expert Fees Simon and Sean discuss expert fees and catch up with Dominic Woodhouse from Partners in Costs to talk about cost management and budgeting in civil proceedings.
16 September News Forensic Science Regulator issues updated Guidance on Declarations of Compliance and Non-Compliance with the Code of Practice forensic science regulator, 06. Rules and Regulations, FSR, Forensic Science Code of Practice The Forensic Science Regulator has updated its Guidance on Declarations of Compliance and Non-Compliance with the Forensic Science Regulator: Code of Practice.
13 September News NHS Resolution announces new Clinical Negligence Claims Agreement 2024 Clinical negligence, NHS Resolution, Clinical Negligence Claims Agreement 2024 NHS have announced the implementation of a new Clinical Negligence Claims Agreement for 2024. The agreement builds on the Covid-19 Clinical Negligence Protocol established in 2020 with the aim of improving claims management practices. Members who act in clinical negligence cases should note the new agreement, although it does not directly affect expert witnesses.