We are able to provide expert witness reports relating to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.
An expert in reality is anyone with knowledge or experience of a particular field or discipline beyond that to be expected of a layman.
An expert witness is an expert who makes their knowledge or experience available to the court. There is a distinction between advising the client and helping the court.
The main duty of an expert witness is to the court – being truthful in fact, thorough in technical reasoning, honest in opinion and complete in terms of relevant matters. This duty is just as applicable when writing reports or giving evidence in court.
The distinguishing feature of expert evidence is that it is an opinion. Generally speaking all other witnesses may only give evidence of fact – what they saw or what they heard. The expert witness is however expected to offer technical analysis and opinion inferred from factual evidence.
Expert evidence is usually sought in disputes requiring detailed technical knowledge, however there is nothing in the Civil Procedure Rules that prevents expert evidence being called on any factual issue in dispute that would be deemed outside the knowledge or experience of judge or jury, provided that the court deems the expert evidence admissible.