02 October 2023 Simon Berney-Edwards 1402 News Criminal Practice Directions - Revised Declaration of Truth bySimon Berney-Edwards The second amendment updates the declaration of truth used in expert reports. From 2nd October 2023, the Forensic Science Regulator: Code of Practice will require an expert witness to declare that they have acted in accordance with their relevant code or identify areas of non-compliance and provide details of steps taken to mitigate the risks associated with the non-compliance. This amendment will ensure that the expert witness’s declaration required by the Criminal Procedure Rules is consistent with the new declaration required by the Forensic Science Regulator’s Code of Practice. The new point 13 from the declaration reads: “I confirm that I have complied with the code of practice or conduct for experts of my discipline, namely [identify the code], in all respects save as identified in [schedule][annexe][x] to this report. That [schedule][annexe] gives details of the action taken to mitigate any risk of error that might arise as a result.” We have updated the Knowledge Hub accordingly. Share Print Tags 06. Rules and Regulations11. Report Writing Related articles Disability and exclusion from school Philipa Hodgson v Dr Daniel Hammond & Anor [2025] EWHC 1261 (KB) Unresponsive episodes in a child and the role of chloral hydrate Access to public domain documents pilot A Day in the Life of a Digital Forensics Expert Witness Switch article Stay within your expertise - you don’t become an expert by virtue of having acquired knowledge in the course of the case itself Previous Article Guidance for Expert Witnesses submitting reports for cases in the new Civil Intermediate Track Next Article Comments are only visible to subscribers.