Witness Familiarisation training

Learn how to give evidence clearly and effectively in this intensive training session, led by Dr Simon Fox KC.

The session kicks off with an overview of court etiquette and processes before you take part in an evidence-based, role-play exercise. You’ll learn how to give evidence in a clear, persuasive and ordered way. We film the role-play exercise and provide feedback on your performance in the follow-up session (the video is deleted afterwards).

We run these intensive training sessions with a maximum of six delegates to enable you to get as much as possible out of the training.

Please note: to ensure our barrister complies with Bar Council Guidance, delegates must prepare and comply with the following requirements.

• Each delegate must provide six medical reports from completed cases (at least three full weeks before the course). These reports will be used as the basis of a mock trial bundle, on which you will be cross-examined.
  • Breach of duty or causation reports provide the most useful material for the role play. Shorter condition and prognosis reports are not as suitable for this task.
  • The reports must bear no similarity to current or forthcoming cases and must be completely anonymised. These can be reports you have created, based on fictional scenarios.

If you would like further information about the requirements, please contact us when booking the course. You can also read an explanation of the full requirements.

Learning outcomes:

• the practicalities of an inquest
• the legal framework and how to comply with court requirements
• what’s expected of you as the clinician
• how to structure your factual witness evidence (written and oral)
• tips for giving evidence and preparing for questions
• what the Coroner is looking for.

On day 2, you’ll gain invaluable insights into how the process works by attending a real inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court.

This course is taught by highly experienced solicitor Isabel Bathurst, who represents families at inquests following catastrophic accidents, clinical negligence, and deaths in custody. Isabel is joined by Dr Colin Holburn, Consultant in Emergency Medicine who is highly experienced in giving evidence at inquests. Finally, Professor Paul Marks, Neurosurgeon and Coroner for East Riding, Yorkshire, shares his invaluable insights via a pre-recorded presentation.

Please note: this is a general introduction to inquests for clinicians who are new to this work. It is not aimed at clinicians who provide expert evidence to the Coroner. Our Witness Familiarisation course would be more suitable for those giving expert evidence.