Careful selection of the right expert for a case can pay dividends and can also prevent the instruction of an expert who is not who they say are. There have been several recent cases where experts have turned out not to have the qualifications and experience they purported to have. Gene Morrison, a bogus forensic expert, was jailed for this deception. He was paid at least £250,000 in taxpayers’ money for giving apparently expert advice. He gave evidence in many serious criminal cases and about 700 cases he worked on now have to be reassessed. He did not have any real qualifications and cut and pasted old reports together.
It is vital that all solicitors thoroughly check the credentials of all experts before giving formal instructions. This can be done by taking references from professional bodies and expert witness organisations. It is also important that opposing counsel thoroughly cross-examine any expert called to the witness box, to test again that this person is an expert. Judges should also play a part and ensure both counsel have done their job. The example of Morrison should deter other ‘Walter Mitty’ experts from attempting anything similar.
