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25 February 2016 / Mark Solon
Issue: 7688 / Categories: Features , Expert Witness , Profession
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The experts’ view

Mark Solon discusses the current & predicted trends for experts in 2016

The government’s spotlight on expert witnesses has been undimmed over the last year in its continued crackdown on the perceived compensation culture and with its drive to bring down the costs of litigation, particularly in the personal injury field, and especially for cases at the lower end of the spectrum, like whiplash.

Yet despite fee cuts, moves to limit the number of experts giving evidence in cases and the controversial reforms for the instruction of experts in soft tissue cases, the results of the 2015 Bond Solon Expert Witness Survey suggest that it has general been business as usual for most experts, whose work has been undiminished and whose fees have remained static or in some cases increased.

The survey that followed the annual Bond Solon expert witness conference was completed by almost 200 experts across a wide range of specialties.

  • Nearly half (47% ) of the 191 respondents reported an increase in the number of instructions received, going against the grain
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott—Kevin Joynes & Neil Gosling

Clarke Willmott bolsters housebuilder expertise in Birmingham

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Carpmaels & Ransford—Kevin Cordina

Firm adds former Simmons Simmons patent head to engineering and tech team

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

ACTAPS—Sally Goodger

Freeths strengthens its voice in national disputes with ACTAPS committee appointment

NEWS
Some employment law controversies never disappear—they merely lie dormant
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming legal practice, but its successful adoption depends as much on culture as technology
The fallout from Lord Mandelson’s appointment and dismissal as UK ambassador to Washington raises profound questions about constitutional governance, accountability and political appointments
Pastries may be in the firing line while kebabs escape scrutiny, but the reality is far more nuanced
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dillon highlights a central tension in modern public law: rights may be recognised without being fully realised
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