Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016

Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel Authorised Version i Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 TABLE OF PROVISIONS Rule Page 1 Object 1 2 Authorising provisions 1 3 Commencement 1 4 Principal Rules 1 5 Report of expert 1 6 Form 44A substituted 2 ═══════════════ Endnotes 5 -- 1 of 6 -- Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel Authorised Version 1 STATUTORY RULES 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 Magistrates' Court Act 1989 Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 The Chief Magistrate together with 2 Deputy Chief Magistrates jointly make the following Rules: 1 Object The object of these Rules is to amend the Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure Rules 2010 to provide for a code of conduct for expert witnesses which is harmonised with other like jurisdictions. 2 Authorising provisions These Rules are made under section 16 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1989 and all other enabling powers. 3 Commencement These Rules come into operation on 15 July 2016. 4 Principal Rules In these Rules, the Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure Rules 20101 are called the Principal Rules. 5 Report of expert (1) In Rule 44.03(1)(b) and (c) of the Principal Rules, for "paragraph (2)" substitute "clause 3 of the code". (2) Rule 44.03(2) of the Principal Rules is revoked. -- 2 of 6 -- Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 2 6 Form 44A substituted For Form 44A of the Principal Rules substitute— "FORM 44A Rule 44.01 EXPERT WITNESS CODE OF CONDUCT Application of Code 1. This Code of Conduct applies to any expert witness engaged or appointed— (a) to provide an expert's report for use as evidence in proceedings or proposed proceedings; or (b) to give opinion evidence in proceedings or proposed proceedings. General Duties to the Court 2. An expert witness is not an advocate for a party and has a paramount duty, overriding any duty to the party to the proceedings or other person retaining the expert witness, to assist the Court impartially on matters relevant to the area of expertise of the witness. Content of Report 3. Every report prepared by an expert witness for use in Court shall clearly state the opinion or opinions of the expert and shall state, specify or provide— (a) the name and address of the expert; (b) an acknowledgment that the expert has read this code and agrees to be bound by it; (c) the qualifications of the expert to prepare the report; (d) the assumptions and material facts on which each opinion expressed in the report is based (a letter of instructions may be annexed); (e) the reasons for and any literature or other materials utilised in support of each such opinion; (f) (if applicable) that a particular question, issue or matter falls outside the expert's field of expertise; -- 3 of 6 -- Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 3 (g) any examinations, tests or other investigations on which the expert has relied, identifying the person who carried them out and that person's qualifications; (h) to the extent to which any opinion which the expert has expressed involves the acceptance of another person's opinion, the identification of that other person and opinion expressed by that other person; (i) a declaration that the expert has made all the inquiries which the expert believes are desirable and appropriate, (save for any matters identified explicitly in the report) and that no matters of significance which the expert regards as relevant have, to the knowledge of the expert, been withheld from the Court; (j) any qualification of an opinion expressed in the report without which the report is or may be incomplete or inaccurate; (k) whether any opinion expressed in the report is not a concluded opinion because of insufficient research or insufficient data or for any other reason; and (l) where the report is lengthy or complex, a brief summary of the report at the beginning of the report. Supplementary Report Following Change of Opinion 4. Where an expert witness has provided to a party (or that party's legal representative) a report for use in Court, and the expert thereafter changes his or her opinion on a material matter, the expert shall forthwith provide to the party (or that party's legal representative) a supplementary report which shall state, specify or provide the information referred to in paragraphs (a), (d), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) and (l) of clause 3 of this code and, if applicable, paragraph (f) of that clause. 5. In any subsequent report (whether prepared in accordance with clause 4 or not) the expert may refer to material contained in the earlier report without repeating it. -- 4 of 6 -- Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 4 Duty to Comply with the Court's Directions 6. If directed to do so by the Court, an expert witness shall— (a) confer with any other expert witness; (b) provide the Court with a joint report specifying (as the case requires) matters agreed and matters not agreed and the reasons for the experts not agreeing; and (c) abide in a timely way by any direction of the Court. Conference of Experts 7. Each expert witness shall— (a) exercise his or her independent judgment in relation to every conference in which the expert participates pursuant to a direction of the Court and in relation to each report thereafter provided, and shall not act on any instruction or request to withhold or avoid agreement; and (b) endeavour to reach agreement with the other expert witness (or witnesses) on any issue in dispute between them, or failing agreement, endeavour to identify and clarify the basis of disagreement on the issues which are in dispute.". Dated: 1 July 2016 PETER LAURITSEN, Chief Magistrate JELENA POPOVIC, Deputy Chief Magistrate LANCE MARTIN, Deputy Chief Magistrate ═══════════════ -- 5 of 6 -- Endnotes Magistrates' Court General Civil Procedure (Expert Witness Code Amendment) Rules 2016 S.R. No. 82/2016 Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 5 Endnotes 1 Rule 4: S.R. No. 140/2010. Reprint No. 2 as at 1 February 2015. Reprinted to S.R. No. 3/2015. Subsequently amended by S.R. Nos 163/2015, 164/2015 and 17/2016. -- 6 of 6 --