Even the most eminent expert must comply with the admissibility rules, says Mark Solon
- The evidence of a ‘dream team’ of eminent experts failed to pass the admissibility test in a recent extradition case.
The judgment of District Judge Zani handed down in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 13 April 2018 in the extradition case of Bucharest Appeal Court, Romania v Alexander Adamescu provides some interesting insight into what is allowed as expert evidence.
Part of the evidence in the case was ‘expert evidence’ from Lord Carlile. This was entitled An Expert Report in relation to UK Extradition Proceedings , by SC Strategy Ltd. This company is an international strategic consultancy founded in 2012 by Sir John Scarlett and Lord Carlile of Berriew QC. Sir John, as a former Head of MI6, should know a thing or two about international affairs and Lord Carlile is a leading expert on issues of fraud and corruption. Together, they ostensibly formed the expert dream team. Their first report considered events relating to a conspiracy
