Following their appointment at the AGM in June, the EWI is delighted to welcome Karen Addy, Max Beckett, and James Eade to the Board of Governors.

In this case the judge had a number of criticisms of the expert paediatrician and as a result there was a subsequent hearing to consider whether to identify Dr G. He was invited to attend the hearing and was represented by Counsel. Dr G sought for all references to him to be anonymised in the judgment. The other parties did not support anonymisation.

Kent County Council v M [2026] EWFC 212 (B) 

The case dealt with the claim by the landlord for breach of the tenant’s covenants and conditions following the expiry of the tenant’s lease on an office building in Dartford. Two of the experts in the case were disadvantaged by having to form their opinions on the basis of access to limited information and another by instructions which meant that his analysis was entirely premised on his clients’ case

The EWI held its annual Study Day on 15 October at Stewarts Law in London. This full day event brings together seasoned professionals for interactive group discussions, legal panels, and practical seminars. The theme for 2026 was ‘Mastering the Witness Box’.

This case is important for expert healthcare experts in delayed-diagnosis cases in Scotland, being brought under the Damages (Scotland) Act 2011, s 3,  but, relying on an English case, it may be relevant to healthcare experts outside Scotland. In a conventional causation case, an expert may be asked: ‘Would the patient have survived but for the alleged negligent delay?’ This case concerns whether the alleged breach of duty caused the loss of a chance of a better outcome.

Lever v Ayrshire and Arran Health Board (Court of Session) [2026] CSOH 89 

In July 2026, Ciarb published its Report on Party-Appointed Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration (the Ciarb Report), based on 419 survey responses. In this paper, Max Beckett and Catherine Jago from CJH Experts review the Report. The EWI would welcome the thoughts of arbitrators, judges, counsel and fellow experts on the proposals set out in the Report. 

This is yet another case in which a medical report has been given little weight in immigration and asylum proceedings.

Begum v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] UKFTT HU507302025 (IAC)

The Claimant asserted that the Defendant had infringed their patent for an electric shower-waster pump and control unit. The trial related to liability only. Both sides criticised the other’s expert. The Judge rejected these criticisms noting that, while he reached conclusions that differed from the experts in various places, he did not consider either expert to be unreliable or that their evidence generally should be discounted.

David Cowan, Leam Craig. and Kathryn Newns have been recognised for their contribution to the Expert Witness community.  

This month we have a special episode to celebrate 30 years since the Expert Witness Institute was launched on 8 November 2026. We are going to look back at the changes over the last 30 years within the world of expert evidence, look at how we have changed as an organisation, and also dip into the archive for our News Reel.