Expert Witness Report Writing Course (Online)

Description

Building your expert witness skills

As an expert witness, you play a critical role in the legal process. So, your written report needs to be clear, concise and well-structured. On this course, you’ll get some insider report-writing tips from some of the UK’s leading legal professionals. You’ll learn how to put together high-quality reports that meet all the latest legal requirements and can withstand cross-examination and scrutiny.

Key elements of the course:

• Watch top legal and medical experts explain the legal framework and give their guidance on writing expert
  witness reports.
• Review and critically assess reports written by other medico-legal experts.
• Write your own medical report using a real case (on breach of duty and causation).
• Get constructive feedback on your report from one of our medical negligence experts.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, you will have a good understanding of:

• what lawyers and judges expect from an expert witness report (including some tips from His Honour Judge Harris KC)
• how to structure and write your report in a clear and succinct way
• what information needs to be included and how to comply with court requirements
• how to express your independent view and write a report that withstands cross-examination
• how to critically evaluate your own and other experts’ reports.

Gain CPD points

At the end of the course, you will have a good understanding of:

This expert witness training course takes around ten hours to complete online. You will receive a CPD certificate on completion of the course.

Find out more about our other courses on the Conference with Counsel, the Meeting of Experts and Giving Evidence in Court.

Course overview

Task 1 – Video presentations

Addressing the legal issues – Paul Sankey

Paul Sankey, a highly experienced medical negligence solicitor, discusses the legal issues, including breach of duty, causation, prognosis, advice and consent.

Your duties as an expert witness and civil procedure rules – Paul Sankey

Next, Paul Sankey looks at:

• procedure governed by civil procedure rules (CPR)
• Part 35 and practice direction (PD)
• independence and objectivity
• experts’ duties and conflicts of facts
• providing evidence for your views and some cautionary tales.

Report writing – Dr Tom Boyd

Dr Tom Boyd provides his expert view on preparing a medical report, covering:

• content and form report – Practice Direction 35
• report layout
• chronology and investigation of the facts
• preparing your opinion and conclusion sections
• the statement of truth.

Tips for your report – Dr Simon Fox KC and His Honour Judge Harris KC

Dr Simon Fox and Judge Harris give invaluable tips for preparing your report for the court and how you can help the judge understand the medical issues.

Task 2 – Review of the sample reports

You critique five sample reports, submit your feedback and see how it compares to our legal team’s critique. This helps you to build your knowledge on how to write a high-quality report.

Task 3 – Video presentations

You review the medical records for a real case (with the client details redacted) and write a report addressing breach of duty and causation. Medical negligence expert Isabel Bathurst will then review your report and give you feedback.

Task 4 – Video/phone consultation with our medical negligence lawyer

You have a 30-minute video or phone call with Isabel Bathurst who will discuss the feedback and offer some individual advice on writing your report.