Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Consultation document: Bearing good witness - Proposals for reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases

McDonald, Iain; Heenan, Susan; Heenan, Anna

Consultation document: Bearing good witness - Proposals for reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases Thumbnail


Authors

Susan Heenan Susan.Heenan@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Lecturer - CBAL - LAW - ULAW0001

Anna Heenan



Abstract

Several high‐profile criminal cases, such as those of Sally Clark, Angela Cannings, Trupti Patel and Donna Anthony – all wrongly convicted of the murder of their children on the basis of flawed expert evidence – have raised serious questions about the use, nature and quality of expert evidence in such cases. As well as the injustice and suffering inflicted on innocent families, the publicity surrounding these cases has seriously undermined public confidence in the criminal justice system. Further, this publicity has deterred suitably qualified clinicians, already in short supply, from acting as expert witnesses. In the wake of these cases, the government commissioned the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, to produce proposals for the reform of expert evidence in family law cases more generally.
Such reform was long overdue since there were already serious concerns about unacceptable delays in cases where experts were instructed. These delays were attributed partly to a significant increase in the number of experts being instructed, their limited availability for hearings and the late submission of reports to the court. Such issues are addressed in the Report from Sir Liam Donaldson on this issue, which concentrates on public law proceedings in Children Act cases and makes 16 proposals for reform. As the Report makes clear, the issues raised are relevant to medical evidence in both criminal and Children Act cases.

Citation

McDonald, I., Heenan, S., & Heenan, A. (2007). Consultation document: Bearing good witness - Proposals for reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 29(2), 151-161. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649060701666630

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jun 1, 2007
Deposit Date Jan 19, 2012
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
Print ISSN 0964-9069
Electronic ISSN 1469-9621
Publisher Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 29
Issue 2
Pages 151-161
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/09649060701666630
Keywords expert witnesses, family law
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1032980
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09649060701666630

Files

expert witness copy from web.docx (33 Kb)
Document





You might also like



Downloadable Citations