4 March News Elevate Your Expertise: Join the EWI's Inaugural Study Day in London Instructions, 01. Starting your Expert Witness Business, CPD, Wellness, Legal Updates, Training, 11. Report Writing The Expert Witness Institute (EWI) is thrilled to announce its inaugural Study Day, a comprehensive event designed to empower both aspiring and seasoned expert witnesses. Mark your calendars for Monday, March 18th, and join us at the prestigious Rembrandt Hotel in South Kensington, London, for a full day of invaluable learning and networking.
4 March Case Updates An approach entirely contradictory to the duties and responsibilities of expert witnesses identified in The Ikarian Reefer 10. Records Assessments and Site Visits, The Ikarian Reefer, 06. Rules and Regulations, 11. Report Writing This is a case in which the tribunal was critical of an expert witness. One criticism was that he did not expressly acknowledge the guidance provided in the Ikarian Reefer in his declaration – “a step taken by many experts who prepare reports for this Chamber”. UI2023005210 [2024] UKAITUR UI2023005210
27 February Case Updates Krzysztof Lukasik v Circuit Court, Praga in Warsaw (A Polish Judicial Authority) [2025] EWHC 282 (Admin) Extradition, 16. Criticism and Complaints, Child Psychologist, 11. Report Writing While the Judge in this extradition appeal ultimately reached the same conclusion as the District Court Judge, and dismissed the appeal, he pointed out significant deficiencies in how the District Court Judge had treated the expert psychological evidence.
24 February Day in the life A Day in the Life of an Accountancy Expert Witness Expert Witness Training, Accountancy, 11. Report Writing, 15. Giving Oral Evidence Heather Rogers is an accountant, tax practitioner and Expert Witness. Most of her cases involve director disputes or professional negligence where there is a financial element. She runs her own consultancy, Aston Accountancy Limited.
20 February Case Updates Kohler Mira Limited v Norcros Group (Holdings) Limited [2024] EWHC 3247 (Ch) Patent Law, 01. Starting your Expert Witness Business, 16. Criticism and Complaints, Prior Art, CV Writing, 11. Report Writing, 14. Changing your opinion, 15. Giving Oral Evidence The judge preferred the evidence of the Claimant's expert because of the Defendant's expert’s approach to his task as expert, his confusion over the proper approach to what prior art was and was not in the common general knowledge, the number of assertions he made which he was forced to resile from as incorrect, and his failure to acknowledge a key fact.
18 February Case Updates Medical reporting agency at work Medical Reporting Organisation, MRO, 02. Working with Agencies or Panels, 11. Report Writing The issue in this judicial review did not turn on the expert evidence but the case illustrates the role of a medical reporting organisation (MRO) in a particular civil case and there are some general learning points. Of note, the MRO did not arrange the correction of an erroneous date, it did not recognise how the evidence set out by the expert was seemingly insufficiently referenced and it did not recognise that there would be questions as to how some of the expert’s conclusions were reached. Ivory, R (On the Application Of) v Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council [2025] EWCA Civ 21
11 February Case Updates A mother's malign influence on her children 10. Records Assessments and Site Visits, Toxicology, Haematology Paediatrics, Pharmacology, Respiratory medicine, 11. Report Writing This is a case which will assume much greater importance for the 15 points of practice and practical steps that the judge decided can help reduce the risk of well-meaning professionals falling into pitfalls that hinder the identification of safeguarding issues at an early stage than as a case with learning points for experts. For some of the experts in the fields from which jointly appointed experts were instructed, it illustrates how their evidence is tested and applied in a case of suspected fabricated or induced illness (FII). Re N (Children: Fact Finding - Perplexing Presentation/Fabricated or Induced Illness) [2024] EWFC 326
20 January Day in the life A Day in the Life of an Emergency Medicine Expert Witness Accident and Emergency, 11. Report Writing, 08. Working with Instructing Parties, 15. Giving Oral Evidence Colin Holburn is an EWI fellow, governor and founding member. A consultant in accident and emergency medicine, he has been practising as an Expert Witness for over 30 years. He tells us why he still loves Expert work and shares his advice for those interested in getting into the field.
15 January Podcast Podcast Episode 8: Re-evaluating your opinion 06. Rules and Regulations, 11. Report Writing, 14. Changing your opinion, 08. Working with Instructing Parties, 12. Responding to questions, 13. Experts Discussions and Joint Statements, 15. Giving Oral Evidence In the 8th episode of the Expert Matters Podcast, we discuss re-evaluating your opinion. We look at possible reasons why you might wish to re-evaluate your opinion and the stages in the proceedings where re-evaluation is most likely to occur, before hearing from three senior judges on how re-evaluating your opinion can sometimes be positive for your expert evidence, but may also be disastrous.
14 January Case Updates Justice for people with a hearing impairment Capacity, Hearing impairment, 06. Rules and Regulations, 11. Report Writing, 08. Working with Instructing Parties A psychiatrist whose evidence had often been admitted in capacity cases was assisted in this case of a hearing-impaired person by an interpreter who had British Sign Language (BSL) Level 1 training. Her assessment was subsequently criticised as she conducted the assessment without ‘suitable specialist learning support’. For psychiatrists and psychologists, the case illustrates the importance, in the case of some hearing-impaired subjects, of being assisted, or of the assessment being carried out, by a psychologist or psychiatrist who has experience of the assessment and treatment of hearing-disabled people. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council v KZ (Rev1) [2024] EWCOP 72 (T3)