Report into the quality of Expert Psychological Assessments in the Family Courts

A new report by Professor Jane Ireland, published this week, claims that up to 20% of Experts instructed in cases in the Family Courts are not qualified.

In the first report of it’s kind in the UK, Professor Ireland looked at 126 Expert Witness reports from Courts in the Midlands, North and South of England. Professor Ireland, who is herself an Expert Psychological Witness, also came to some other rather surprising conclusions.  Including that two thirds of the reports reviewed in the research were rated as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ and that 90% of the Expert Witness Psychologists in the sample group were not currently in clinical practice.

Whilst Professor Ireland herself acknowledges that the report is a ‘preliminary study’ it does raise some challenging questions for those operating in the profession and also for solicitors and Courts who are responsible for instructing experts.

CLICK HERE to read a full copy of the report.