Concerns raised over use of 'hired gun' expert witnesses in English courts

A lack of regulation over the use of expert witnesses in English courts could be leading to miscarriages of justice, senior politicians, lawyers and doctors have said.

- Hannah Al-Othman Jessica Murray

The former attorney general Dominic Grieve and the former justice secretary Jack Straw were among those who said criminal and civil trials were sometimes hinging on evidence from self-appointed "experts" who lacked relevant knowledge.

Grieve warned that, although experts were supposed to be independent, they often came across as being "hired guns".

"Expert evidence is clearly critical, legitimate and, in some cases, can be absolute clinchers," he said. But when dealing with issues "at the limits of human scientific knowledge and understanding", expert witnesses could make people feel comfortable about making decisions when "quite frankly, the evidence isn't there".

Concerns over the use of expert witnesses have been raised in relation to the case of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven babies. Lawyers appealing against her conviction argue the expert evidence presented at her trial was flawed.

Expert witnesses were also criticised during the Post Office scandal, where post office operators were convicted of stealing based on evidence from IT experts that has been subject to criticism.