Mark Solon offers tips on how to make sure your expert witness keeps up to date
- An out of date expert witness is a dangerous expert witness and can create considerable risks for the instructing party.
- So what should a solicitor look for in terms of currency before instructing a potential expert?
Expert witnesses obviously need to be up-to-date in their professional field, but they also need to be up to date in their role as an expert witness.
Clearly, instructing solicitors will want to know that the expert they choose is current in their professional field. Experts do have a sell by date and so those that have retired will have a limited time as an expert witness. Look for current practice and credibility. In civil matters, the time of the events in dispute will be relevant in the choice of expert.
Current knowledge
Professional practice changes all the time and the expert must have current knowledge. There are some exceptions, for example where medical practice at a point in time some years ago in a case involving obstetrics may be relevant
