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21 July 2023 / Mark Solon
Issue: 8034 / Categories: Features , Profession , Expert Witness , Procedure & practice
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Expert witness: getting your ducks in a row

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Mark Solon stresses the importance of experts knowing & following the rules
  • The judgment in M v F and another has underscored the importance of an expert witness being well-versed in the rules and guidance governing the presentation of expert evidence.

The 2022 family law case of M v F and another [2022] EWFC 186 has recently been published as a delayed judgment due to a subsequent hearing on expert anonymity. Although a family law matter, the principles dealt with apply to other areas of law.

There are two skill sets required of an expert: first, having the qualifications and experience relevant to the issues of a particular matter; but second, the skills needed to be an expert witness, including how to construct a court complaint report, a knowledge of the court rules, guidance, and protocols and how to give effective oral evidence. Instructing solicitors need to ensure an expert has these essential skills.

Recorder Reed’s judgment is a must-read for all expert witnesses and

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NEWS
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

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