Category: expert witnesses

Reasonable requirement for expert evidence – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 23rd, 2020 in civil procedure rules, evidence, expert witnesses, news by sally

‘Civil claims increasingly raise technical and scientific issues that require evidence from experts who can assist the court in understanding the key issues. However, the parties do not have a right to adduce expert evidence and the court’s permission will be required. Rather, the court will control the use of evidence. It will do this by restricting the use of expert evidence to that which is reasonably required to resolve the proceedings (CPR 35.1).’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd June 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court blocks new expert on disabled claimant’s life expectancy – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 17th, 2020 in damages, evidence, expert witnesses, insurance, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The High Court has refused an insurer permission to rely on a new expert whose evidence reduced the estimated life expectancy of a personal injury claimant.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th June 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Relief from sanctions overturned for “egregious” conduct – Litigation Futures

Posted June 16th, 2020 in case management, civil procedure rules, expert witnesses, negligence, news, sanctions, solicitors by sally

‘A High Court judge has overturned relief from sanctions granted to a claimant in a medical negligence case, partly because of her solicitor’s “egregious” conduct.’

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Litigation Futures, 15th June 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Guidance from the High Court on adjournments in care proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic (A Local Authority v Mother and Ors) – 1 GC: Family Law

Posted June 12th, 2020 in adjournment, care orders, chambers articles, children, coronavirus, expert witnesses, families, family courts, news, remote hearings by sally

‘Liz Andrews, barrister at 1|GC Family Law reviews the judgment in A Local Authority v The Mother and others where Williams J was required to determine, in light of the guidance of the President of the Family Division alongside the recent decisions concerning adjournments during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, whether a fact-finding hearing taking place within long-running care proceedings was to continue following the conclusion of expert evidence and, if so, in what form, or whether the hearing should be adjourned to allow the lay parties to give evidence in person.’

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1 GC: Family Law, 5th June 2020

Source: 1gc.com

No relief for claimant who went “well beyond” court order – Litigation Futures

Posted June 3rd, 2020 in case management, expert witnesses, news, sanctions, video recordings by sally

‘The High Court has rejected an application for relief from sanctions from a claimant who went “well beyond” the terms of a directions order by obtaining a fully updated report from a medical expert.’

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Litigation Futures, 2nd June 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Lady in the Lake’ murder: Gordon Park’s conviction upheld – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2020 in appeals, Criminal Cases Review Commission, Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, expert witnesses, families, murder, news, suicide by sally

‘Three senior judges have rejected a posthumous appeal against the conviction of Gordon Park, the so-called “Lady in the Lake” killer.’

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BBC News, 1st May 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Appeal judges to rule on legality of Covid-19 practice direction – Litigation Futures

Posted April 29th, 2020 in appeals, coronavirus, emergency powers, expert witnesses, housing, landlord & tenant, news, practice directions, repossession, stay of proceedings, ultra vires by sally

‘The Court of Appeal is to rule on Thursday on the power of the Master of the Rolls (MR) to make an emergency practice direction in response to Covid-19.’

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Litigation Futures, 29th April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Medical Experts: Expert Neuropsychology Assessments for the Courts During COVID-19 – Coronavirus: Guidance for Lawyers and Businesses

Posted April 24th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, expert witnesses, mental health, news, psychiatric damage by sally

‘The issue of medical experts examining claimants and reporting to the courts during the Covid-19 crisis is a difficult one. Here Consultant Neuropsychologist Daniel Friedland provides some guidance.’

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Coronavirus: Guidance for Lawyers and Businesses, 23rd April 2020

Source: lawinthetimeofcorona.wordpress.com

Is there property in an (expert) witness? (A company v X and others) – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted April 22nd, 2020 in chambers articles, expert witnesses, fiduciary duty, injunctions, news by sally

‘A company v X and others [2020] EWHC 809 (TCC): At the return date hearing of an ex parte injunction, the court was required to consider whether the general principle that there is no property in a witness applied to expert witnesses. That question was dependent on whether an expert witness owed a specific fiduciary duty of undivided loyalty to the instructing client. The court decided that this was a case where a fiduciary duty was owed, that the duty of undivided loyalty extended to the experts’ group companies, and there was a potential conflict of interest. The injunction was maintained pending trial or other resolution of the dispute.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 19th April 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

McFarlane: Remote hearing on future of child a step too far – Legal Futures

Posted April 22nd, 2020 in child cruelty, children, coronavirus, delay, expert witnesses, families, family courts, live link evidence, local government, news, remote hearings by sally

‘It is not appropriate for a 15-day hearing into whether a mother has harmed her seven-year-old daughter to be held remotely, the president of the Family Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judge demands “level playing field” on recording medical examinations – Litigation Futures

Posted April 21st, 2020 in accidents, doctors, expert witnesses, judges, medical records, news, personal injuries, psychiatric damage by sally

‘The High Court has insisted that there must be a “level playing field” when it comes to recording medical examinations.’

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Litigation Futures, 21st April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

General Medical Council and Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v Dr Zafar – Old Square Chambers

Posted April 16th, 2020 in appeals, chambers articles, contempt of court, doctors, expert witnesses, news, professional conduct by sally

‘The High Court has held that a Court of Appeal judgment in a Civil Contempt sentence appeal involving the Respondent although it did not increase the Respondent doctor’s sentence for contempt but led to a finding of undue lenience should have been put before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal (MPT) when considering the sanction for the admitted Contempt. This is despite the General Medical Council (GMC), which exercised its right of appeal under section 40A of the Medical Act 1983 to bring the case before the High Court, having agreed not to put the judgment before the MPT prior to and during the MPT proceedings.’

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Old Square Chambers, 8th April 2020

Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk

High Court: Experts owe clients “fiduciary duty of loyalty” – Litigation Futures

Posted April 16th, 2020 in confidentiality, expert witnesses, fiduciary duty, news, privilege by sally

‘Expert witnesses owe a fiduciary obligation of loyalty to their client and it is not satisfied simply by putting in place measures to preserve confidentiality and privilege, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court overturns £39k order against solicitor for unpaid medical fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 15th, 2020 in appeals, damages, expert witnesses, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘A law firm owner has successfully challenged a court order to pay a personal injury diagnosis provider around £39,000 for unpaid fees.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court strikes off medical reports doctor for contempt – Litigation Futures

Posted April 14th, 2020 in appeals, contempt of court, doctors, expert witnesses, news, professional conduct, sentencing, suspended sentences by sally

‘A doctor who received a suspended sentence for contempt of court over a false medical report has been erased from the medical register by the High Court.’

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Litigation Futures, 14th April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The choice of experts in Catastrophic and Severe Brain Injury – Exchange Chambers

Posted April 1st, 2020 in chambers articles, expert witnesses, news, personal injuries, psychiatric damage by sally

‘In this article I will examine the issues surrounding the choice of experts in catastrophic brain injury claims. I will write about what experts are reasonably required and in what order the experts should be instructed. We will look at the various expertise available and just what it is they do and how they can help the Court to resolve the issues.’

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Exchange Chambers, 25th March 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

Expert Evidence: A Cautionary Tale – Exchange Chambers

Posted April 1st, 2020 in chambers articles, civil procedure rules, documents, electronic filing, electronic mail, expert witnesses, Law Commission, news by sally

‘On 3rd March 2020, Robert Buckland, the incumbent Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, confirmed that electronic signatures are permissible and legally valid if used in commercial and consumer documents. This declaration followed a Law Commission report, published in September last year, that looked at the electronic execution of documents, including deeds.’

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Exchange Chambers, 25th March 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

Third party costs order for medical expert deemed ‘not generally competent as an expert’: Thimmaya v Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust – Parklane Plowden

Posted March 24th, 2020 in chambers articles, costs, expert witnesses, news, third parties by sally

‘Sitting at Manchester County Court, HHJ Evans took the path less trodden and ordered a consultant spinal surgeon, acting as the Claimant’s expert witness in clinical negligence proceedings, to pay £88,800 to cover the costs wasted as a result of his input.’

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Parklane Plowden, 4th March 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Commercial Court clamps down on lengthy witness statements – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 12th, 2020 in Commercial Court, documents, expert witnesses, news, witnesses by tracey

‘The Commercial Court is cracking down on excessively long witness statements, introducing a new set of rules for documents more than 30 pages long.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th March 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Thimmaya v Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust: The incompetent expert – Hailsham Chambers

Posted February 26th, 2020 in chambers articles, costs, doctors, expert witnesses, hospitals, mental health, negligence, news, third parties by sally

‘As all legal practitioners know, good experts win cases. Conversely, bad experts can not only lose cases, but sometimes they can cause a bad case to enter
or remain in existence, wasting time, effort and money. Such was the case in Thimmaya v Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust, where, in a judgment that will understandably alarm the medico-legal world, the County Court decided that a third party costs order should be made against the Claimant’s expert witness, in the sum of £88,801.68.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 21st February 2020

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com