The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has announced the launch of new code of guidance for expert witnesses in the civil courts.
Drafted by Bean J and Judge Nic Madge, the Civil Justice Council Protocol for the Instruction of Experts to give Evidence in the Civil Courts replaces the existing codes of guidance for expert witnesses.
It has been approved by the Academy of Experts, the Expert Witness Institute and other members of the CJC’s expert committee.
The protocol’s launch coincides with the release of the Europe-wide Code of Practice for Experts, which was agreed jointly by the Academy of Experts and the Expert Witness Institute.
Lord Phillips MR, chairman of the CJC, said that he was “delighted” with the consolidation of the existing advice to experts into a single protocol.
With regard to the Code of Practice, he added: “I hope that other expert organisations will feel able to adopt this code in order to help continue raising the standards of experts across the UK.”
References: EGi Legal 30/06/05
