Expert Witness Services
Report and Statement Preparation
Expert witness statements produced for criminal cases conform to Crown Prosecution Services requirements. All information is recorded, retained and revealed in accordance with the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996. An index of all material is maintained throughout the investigation. As forensic scientists we are fully aware that when new evidence is brought to light that our opinion on the meaning of evidence and our conclusions may change. We will always inform our clients as soon as is reasonably practicable if our opinion has varied from that we have given to them. As our overriding duty is to the court we work to ensure that the evidence we supply is unbiased and independent.
When instructed in civil cases we comply with the Civil Procedure Rules, specifically Part 35. As expert witnesses our duty is always to the court and we provide opinions which are independent, regardless of the instructing party. Our reports take into account all of the material facts known to us at the time of writing. We set out those facts and any materials on which we rely to form our opinions. The certainty in whether or not a definitive conclusion can be made will always be clearly expressed within our reports. We are familiar with the general duties of an expert witness and our reports hold a full declaration of that understanding and a statement of truth.
Case Conferences
We have experience of case conferences with barristers, police, solicitors and other scientists. These can occur at any stage during the investigation, from the scene to the court. We are adept at discussing and explaining our findings with all parties at case conferences. Case conferences may be requested by the court, barristers or solicitors and we will always make ourselves available for such discussion in person or via remote teleconference where appropriate. Occasionally, especially if the evidence is complex, we may suggest a conference with the barrister in order to ensure that the evidence is sufficiently clear for the court.
Expert Witness
As expert witnesses we have many years of experience attending courts across the UK and internationally. Attendance at Crown courts, Coroners Courts and Magistrates Courts is a regular part of our work load. We are adept at explaining to the jury and to the court the complex scientific hypotheses and interpretations in appropriate language using examples to help with the understanding of the concepts, several of our testimonials confirm this.
