EXPERT WITNESS TRAINING PROGRAM

Next session: 16 & 17 March 2024

Commonwealth Law Courts Building, Parramatta, NSW

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Bookings are now open for the upcoming session. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to register and pay.

Testimonials

"A pretty unique opportunity to gain courtroom experience in the moot. One of the best courses I have been on, and I’ve been on many in my career! Excellent faculty; credible, knowledgeable, and really taxed my thinking prior to and during the moot. I was very impressed by their abilities to examine my evidence. Outstanding! This will give me more confidence should I be required to give oral evidence in future."   - Dr David Raw (2023 Attendee)

About the course

The aim of this course is for health care practitioners to develop the skills required to provide evidence to the Court as an expert witness.

Overview

Legal Medicine encompasses the interchange between medicine and law and nowhere is this more apparent than when clinicians are invited to provide expert witness testimony. This is provided as either the treating clinician or to provide an independent assessment of a circumstance within the domain of the clinician’s expertise. Being an expert witness requires providing a report and/or attending a court or tribunal and is often stressful for the clinician concerned. The Australasian College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) runs an Expert Report Writing Course and Expert Witness Training Program to familiarise medical professionals as to what is required within such real-world situations.

Lectures:

The Expert Witness Training Program includes didactic lectures to offer advice as to what is expected of the expert by the instructing solicitor, the barrister and the adjudicator (such as the judge). It instructs the clinician how to behave within set situations. There is also provision of didactic / interactive advice from an experienced expert witness.

Pre-course Submitted Report:

Each participant is expected to submit a de-identified court-ready report at few weeks prior to the course. These reports are critically marked to provide advice as to how they can be improved and they serve as a basis to be led and cross examined in a moot (a mock trial) involving real lawyers in a courtroom environment.

Moot Court:

The Moot Court is based on the case reports/material submitted by each candidate which the ‘expert’ marks and provides to each of the barristers and the judge before the day. The barristers alternate between leading and cross examining. Before each candidate enters the witness stand they are asked to give an overview of the material facts of the case in which they are appearing as a witness, in order for the audience to understand the nature of the case. After each moot, the performance of the candidate is openly discussed with all participants invited to comment and a summary given before the start of the next case. The marked reports are returned to the candidates upon completion of the course.

Learning outcomes

Participants will:

1. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the various members of the legal profession involved in the court process.

2. Write an expert medicolegal report that satisfies the requirements of the Court.

3. Differentiate between ‘hearsay’, fact and opinion as forms of evidence.

4. Plan and prepare to provide oral evidence in the courtroom.

5. Integrate the theory provided in the prereading and interactive lectures with the practical delivery of expert evidence via role play (Courtroom Moot).

6. Show the ability to describe a technical medical issue to lay people, avoiding the use of medical jargon.

Pre-requisite

The ACLM Expert Report Writing course is a pre-requisite to attend the Expert Witness Training Program. You will be required to provide evidence that you have already attended the ACLM Expert Report Writing course to be accepted into this Expert Witness Training Program.

Please see the Program & Overview below for more information on the pre-course work required.

Download the program

Location

Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 1-3 George St, Parramatta NSW

FEES

AUD $990 ACLM members (inc. GST) | AUD $1190 Non-members (inc. GST)

TEACHING FACULTY

 - ACLM Course Facilitator & Expert Witness - Professor Roy Beran
 - The Honourable Justice Grant Riethmuller
 - Professor John Devereux - Barrister, Professor of Law

 - Mr George Kalimnios - Barrister

CPD Information

ACLM CPD Program recognition:

22 hours, Relevant to Legal or Forensic Medicine

CPD home submissions:

The following allocations are suggested by ACLM and will be shown on the attendance certificate. It is up to the attendee to check that the activity meets their own CPD home's requirements and to allocate the activity type according to their CPD home's guidelines.

Educational Activity: 7.5 hours

Reviewing Performance: 12.5 hours

Measuring Outcomes: 2 hours

Total: 22 hours

Program Level Requirements met:

 - Maintaining and developing professionalism

RACGP CPD Program recognition:

This Activity No. 407098 has been allocated 22 CPD hours in the RACGP 2023-25 CPD Program. If you have any concerns about this activity, you may submit a GP Feedback form to the RACGP.

CANCELLATION & Privacy POLICY

By registering to attend, you agree that you have read and accept the Cancellation, Privacy and Health & Safety Policies:

Cancellation policy

A refund less $150 administration fee will be provided for all cancellations received by 1 March 2024. Any cancellations after this point will be non-refundable.

Please do not attend if you are sick with a contagious illness such as COVID-like symptoms. If you are unable to attend due to this reason, please contact us for a credit note to attend the next available course.

Contingency Planning:

If a situation occurs which significantly affects the majority of participants’ ability to attend in person, the course may either be postponed to a later date or held entirely online. Any such decision will be communicated to all as soon as possible if this circumstance arises. By registering, you agree to attend the course virtually on the same dates, should this circumstance arise.

Privacy policy

View the ACLM Privacy Policy here.

Health & Safety policy

As part of our commitment to making this event safe you must comply with the following directions:
 - Do not attend this event if you are unwell with a contagious illness such as COVID-like symptoms. Contact us for a credit note to attend the next available course.
 - Face masks are not mandated, but they should be worn in indoor settings and where physical distancing is not possible if you have been exposed to a contagious illness recently.
 - Wash and sanitize your hands frequently and follow hygienic practices when coughing or sneezing.
 - It is your responsibility to check the latest border, travel and quarantine restrictions to ensure you are safe and able to travel to and from this event. This may include applying for a travel permit.

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Active_Expert Witness Training – March 2024

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