Medicolegal is concerned with both medicine and law, as when medical testing or examination is undertaken for a legal purpose (The Fee Dictionary Online).

An expert witness, in England, Wales and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as an expert. The judge may consider the witness’s specialized (scientific, technical or other) opinion about evidence or about facts before the court within the expert’s area of expertise, referred to as an ‘expert opinion’. Expert witnesses may also deliver ‘expert evidence’ within the area of their expertise. Their testimony may be rebutted by testimony from other experts or by other evidence or facts. (Courtesy of Wikipedia online)

Psychiatry is a medical speciality, like general practice, surgery, general medicine or paediatrics. You have to train for 5 years as a doctor and in the UK – like every other medical specialty – do 2 further years of “Foundation” jobs in hospitals before you can start to specialise in psychiatry. It usually takes another 4 years to pass the two professional exams of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, after which you can specialise further.

A Clinical Psychologist will have gained a degree in psychology at university. After gaining further experience working in relevant healthcare settings, Clinical Psychologists then do 3 years Doctorate clinical training in an approved training scheme at university. During this time they work with patients under supervision from experienced psychologists and study for an academic doctorate as well as their first degree. They complete training placements with adults, children, older adults and people with learning difficulties. (Royal College of Psychiatrists website)

Yes. You may wish to bring a friend or relative for either part or the entire period of your assessment.

Depends on the complexity of your case, a comprehensive assessment usually takes between two to three hours.

After completing your report, it is usually sent to the instructing party, i.e. your solicitors. You are almost always entitled to obtain a copy of the report from your legal representatives.

Despite all efforts made to include the correct information in the report, it may rarely be possible that the expert miss some of the background history. If the amendment includes the factual points in the history, the expert will be happy to consider these facts and amend the report.

However, the opinion, comments and recommendations almost always remains within the expert’s initial statements.

If your solicitors feel the expert’s attendance would be necessary, then the expert will make an arrangement to attend the hearings or conferences.

The expert is also summoned to the court occasionally.