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17 March 2023
Issue: 8017 / Categories: Legal News , Expert Witness , Profession , Company , Criminal
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NLJ this week: Murder & finance—all about the experts

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Experts are advised not to amalgamate or exaggerate, when giving evidence, in an expert witness special in this week’s NLJ.

Dr Chris Pamplin, editor of the UK Register of Expert Witnesses, looks at a recent murder case involving contamination of evidence. It serves as a reminder to experts: ‘In cases involving circumstantial evidence, experts must restrict themselves to the primary evidence within their field of expertise. They should not amalgamate evidence, nor look to other forms of circumstantial evidence for corroboration, nor allow this to colour or influence any opinion or conclusions they draw.’ See Dr Pamplin's article here.

Also in this week’s expert witness special, Rakesh Kapila, principal at forensic accountants Sim Kapila, explains the main reasons why joint business ventures end in acrimonious disputes and how a forensic accountant can bring clarity to the situation.

A multitude of things can go wrong, Kapila explains, but there is usually a financial element. Expert accountancy can often assist parties to reach agreement. See his article here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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