Expert evidence
Expert evidence is used to provide information to the court, which is likely to be outside of the knowledge of the magistrates, judge or jury. Opinion evidence can be given if the expert is qualified to provide such an opinion.
Duty of an expert witness
An expert is under a duty to help the court by giving opinion which is objective and unbiased in relation to matters within their expertise. The duty is one which is owed to the court rather than the party who is providing the instructions.
The Criminal Procedure Rules require an expert to provide certain information such as any potential conflict, an appeal which has been allowed due to a deficiency in their evidence, convictions or adverse judicial comment.
Will an expert always be heard?
Applications can be made to exclude expert evidence if it is argued its prejudicial effect outweighs its probative value. The courts have also indicated a willingness to exclude the evidence if it is insufficiently helpful to a jury in reaching its conclusions. The court can also reject evidence, for example, if it decides that the witness has not properly established his independence or has not complied with his duty to the court.
We will not hesitate to challenge experts called to give evidence by the prosecution if there is a prospect of exclusion.
What types of expert are used in criminal cases?
There is a wide range of relevant expertise in criminal law. This could include forensics such as DNA and fingerprints or footwear marks, facial recognition where identification from a still or CCTV is in issue, medical experts in respect of injuries, psychiatric or psychological reports, autopsies or gait analysis.
How do you find an expert?
We have a register of tried and tested experts in every discipline. An expert witness is not just an expert in their field, they have additional skills such as report writing and experience of giving evidence in court.
It is important, therefore, to get the right witness for your case and we can do this for you.
How can we help?
If you need specialist advice in relation to any criminal investigation or prosecution, from the initial investigation through to court proceedings, please get in touch. Call John Howey on 020 7388 1658 or email jhowey@jfhlaw.co.uk. Let us help.
Please note that the information contained in this article was correct at the time of writing. There may have been updates to the law since the article was written, which may affect the information and advice given therein.
