Expert evidence and legal professional privilege - a refresher course

Key Points:

An expert must be highly qualified in their field or discipline and in the particular area in dispute, capable of articulating their views, and, most of all, an expert must be independent.

This is the first of a two-part refresher article on the nature of expert evidence and legal professional privilege. In this article we consider what expert evidence is, who is an expert and the procedural requirements that must be observed when using an expert witness in legal proceedings in NSW.

Expert evidence may become one of the most important aspects of any contested legal proceedings. To maximise the prospects of success it is essential to understand the role of the expert and procedural requirements.