Top judge calls for end to ‘needless dispute of science’
The president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has called on experts to desist from a needless challenging of the detail of scientific fact in court cases. Instead, he has suggested the use of ‘primers’ on various scientific topics to lay out general principles which are not under dispute.
Writing in the scientific journal Nature, Lord Neuberger said: “Testimony from expert witnesses – and I have heard a lot in my career as a judge – is a long-standing and important feature of legal proceedings. The scientists, engineers, inventors and technologists who offer their opinions in court are encouraged to agree on basic points before a trial begins. But they often do not agree as much as we hope. That tends to lengthen the time taken to cross-examine them and contributes to justice being an expensive, drawn-out and stressful experience for all involved.”
He suggests that primers would help both judges and the justice system. They are, he said, used in patent disputes.
BASC, the UK’s largest shooting organisation, has welcomed the introduction of the firearms provisions contained in the new Policing and Crime Bill placed before parliament today. The new provisions provide an opportunity to clarify areas of the law which would benefit those who shoot.
Unlawful employment practices will continue to go unpunished unless the tribunal system is overhauled, the Law Society has warned. The body representing solicitors has published proposals to transform the employment tribunal structure to benefit employees, employers and the administration of justice.