The use of expert witnesses has changed considerably since the introduction of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) in 1999. A key change has been the increased use of single joint experts (SJE), which was intended to reduce costs and speed up settlement of cases. However, many lawyers appear wary of the concept of the SJE.
This attitude was borne out by a recent survey by Smith & Williamson, which polled more than 130 solicitors who undertake civil litigation cases across a wide range of disciplines. Of the respondents, 69% had instructed SJEs, and 98% thought the use of SJEs was now steady or increasing. Despite this trend, 54% described themselves as ‘wary’ of using SJEs.
