Expert witness in child protection (Level 3+, 4 and 5) - online

Please read the course requirements before booking.

We are pleased to be working with Bond Solon, the UK’s leading legal training and information company specifically for nonlawyers, in delivering this highly interactive, practical course which has been specifically developed for paediatricians.

You will gain an understanding of how the different court systems work, the purpose of the court appointed expert witness role (compared to professional witnesses) and your responsibility as an independent educator of the court.

You will also learn more about the key skills required to present confident, clear testimony under cross-examination and how to express an independent opinion based on the foundation of fact.

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a structured approach to preparing expert reports with feedback given on one of your own reports that you will be required to submit in advance as part of this course.

Aim

To equip paediatricians being called as expert witnesses with the skills to produce constructive independent reports and to effectively testify in court to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of expert witnesses and how these differ from professional witnesses
• Produce independent expert reports that meet the specifications of the different court systems
• Testify in court as an expert witness with the skills and confidence required to provide the best possible outcomes for the child.

Excellent instructor with a high level of experience and knowledge in the area.

Target audience

• Consultant paediatricians
• SAS doctors

This was an excellent course Very privileged to be part of this particular group and to learn from my colleagues, especially senior colleagues with extensive expert witness experience.

Course requirements

• Target audience only
• Current experience of being an expert witness or (if looking to step up into this role) current experience of being a professional witness- if you do not have court experience as a professional witness our Child Protection: From Examination to Court course may be more appropriate for you (there is also a separate course for those based in Scotland)
• You will be required to submit a written professional witness or expert witness report (real or fictitious). This will need to be sent to us two weeks before the course date. More information on this will be given once you have registered

Technical requirements

• Windows or Mac computer (laptop/desktop or tablet)
• An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE). Minimum bandwidth is 600kbps (up/down), and recommended is 1.5 Mbps (up/down)
• Microphone and speaker - either using:
  • the built-in microphone/speaker
  • a headset connected to your laptop/desktop or tablet
• Webcam - either using:
  • the built-in webcam
  • separate webcam connected to your laptop/desktop or tablet

IT worked very well, group work was fun, and the best thing was working with such experienced doctors.