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Solicitor-General

Answer

Tim Loughton: To ask the Solicitor-General (1) if she will list experts who (a) are currently and (b) have been in the last 10 years on the official list of expert witnesses for cases related to harm of children by their parents or carers; [151030] (2) how long Sir Roy Meadow has been included on the official list of expert witnesses; [151031] (3) what the procedure is for (a) including, (b) removing and (c) reviewing the appropriateness of continued inclusion of individuals on the official list of expert witnesses. [151032] The Solicitor-General: There is no single official list of persons considered expert witnesses. Various organisations and bodies hold lists of expert witnesses for the purpose of assisting both their own members and other bodies which may require the assistance of an expert. The National Crime and Operations Faculty of the police force retains a database of persons with expertise in a wide range of areas, which is available to other law enforcement agencies. Other similar databases include those held by the Law Society, which retains a database for the use of its members. The Home Office retains a database of pathologists, registered to conduct post mortems on behalf of police or coroners. The Crown Prosecution Service does not retain a central database of experts. Some CPS Areas do keep a list of suitable experts for use in cases. The National Crime and Operations Faculty (NCOF) and its database have been in existence since 1997. It currently retains details on a wide range of experts, both medical and non-medical, which is used by police forces, security services and the Crown Prosecution Service. The various bodies maintaining a database will each have different methods of inclusion and exclusion of experts. With respect to the NCOF database individual experts will be included usually following a referral by a police area as to suitability for inclusion. Professional credentials and experience are then carefully considered prior to any decision being taken to include the expert on the database. The NCOF does not delete experts from its database, in order that a historical record is maintained. If concerns arise over a particular expert then a decision would be taken over his or her continued use. If the decision were not to use that expert again the record would be marked accordingly. The National Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners is in the process of implementing registration of forensic practitioners nationally. This will cover all types of forensic practitioners but at present does not include paediatricians. Registration with the Council as a forensic practitioner is only possible after an assessment of an applicant's professional experience and credentials. Once suitable assessors are identified the scheme will be extended to paediatricians. This is a voluntary scheme, however once completed it will represent a definitive list of suitably competent practitioners.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

417 c516-7W;417 c515-7W; 151030;151031;151032

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Infanticide Trials Expert evidence Meadow, Roy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk