Accreditation and registration have been hot topics for expert witnesses for some time. The Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) has been working towards the accreditation of forensic practitioners and some have called for its remit to be enlarged. In its report, The Use of Experts: Quality Price and Procedures in Publicly Funded Cases, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) recognises the work of the CRFP and suggests that professional bodies should be working with the CRFP to increase the numbers and types of experts who are registered.
Some professional bodies may follow this advice, but others are looking at their own registration schemes: the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) already has such a scheme in operation and the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) is considering the introduction of one. These developments are mirrored in the medical profession.
