17 March News Family Procedure Rules Consultation concerning the instruction of unregulated experts in family law children proceedings Family Law, Unregulated Experts, Family Procedure Rule Committee In recent years a range of stakeholders have raised concerns regarding unregulated experts providing evidence in family law court cases and the standard of the evidence they provide. The Family Procedure Rule Committee is consulting on new FPR 25.5A with the aim of requiring any expert instructed in family law children proceedings to be regulated. A key purpose of the changes is to ensure that any expert instructed in family law children proceedings has the appropriate skills and qualifications on which to base their expert evidence.
29 November Case Updates Expert appoints herself as social worker, psychologist, therapist and judge Independence, Unregulated Experts, 06. Rules and Regulations, 16. Criticism and Complaints At a time when psychologists in particular are concerned about psychological evidence being given by psychologists who are unregulated, this case illustrates the risks when an ‘independent’ social worker gives psychological evidence. The learning points are of general application. The specifics of the case are for psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. Coventry City Council v XX [2024] EWFC 249 (B)
10 July News Update on unregulated experts in children proceedings Unregulated Experts, unregulated psychologist, Family Procedure Rule Committee, 06. Rules and Regulations, Family Procedure Rules, Ministry of Justice, Children Proceedings The Minsitry of Justice intends to draft an amendment to the Family Procedure Rules regualting experts appointed by the court in both public and private law children proceedings.
3 April Case Updates Re C (‘Parental Alienation’; Instruction of Expert) [2023] EWHC 345 (Fam) Admissibility, Psychology, Parental alienation, Unregulated Experts, Protected titles, 06. Rules and Regulations, 11. Report Writing, 01. Starting your Expert Witness Business, 07. Receiving Instructions “When is a psychologist not a psychologist?”