Guidance issued on paediatricians as expert witnesses in family courts

The Family Justice Council and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have issued guidance on paediatricians as expert witnesses in the family courts in England and Wales.

The document is “intended to be used by all stakeholders as a companion document to the generic expert witness standards set out in Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules”, the two organisations said.

It covers:

1. Introduction.
2. Role of paediatricians as expert witnesses in family proceedings.
3. The role of the paediatric team when assessing the child with suspected maltreatment.
4. The role of the professional witness.
5. Regulation and codes of conduct.
6. Issues in relation to competences.
7. Supervision/peer review.
8. Quality of service.

It also contains three appendices:

1. The Legal Framework: A Summary of the Role and Duties of a Court Appointed Expert.
2. Examples of case instructions and appropriate time ranges.
3. Checklist for instructing solicitors.

The guidance, Paediatricians as Expert Witnesses in the Family Courts in England and Wales, can be viewed here.