
"Rules governing criminal cases require expert witnesses to disclose to the side they are giving evidence for in Hindmarsh's case Cheshire police anything that might reasonably be thought capable of undermining the expert's opinion or detract from the credibility or impartiality of the expert. Senior lawyers have told the Guardian that these duties of disclosure can include investigations by an expert's employer, like the one into Hindmarsh's professional conduct."
"Glyn Maddocks KC, joint secretary of the all party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice, said: As I understand the rules, in order to be open and transparent with the court, this expert should have disclosed this investigation, so that its relevance and importance could be assessed. It's vitally important that the integrity of experts is retained at all times."
Cheshire police and the Crown Prosecution Service were unaware that Prof Peter Hindmarsh, a crucial prosecution witness in Lucy Letby's trial, was subject to a formal investigation by University College London hospitals NHS trust regarding serious concerns about his medical work, including allegations of patient harm. Hindmarsh provided critical evidence supporting charges that Letby attempted to murder two babies by injecting insulin. Criminal procedure rules require expert witnesses to disclose information that could undermine their credibility or impartiality. Senior lawyers indicate that employer investigations into professional conduct fall within required disclosure obligations. Legal experts argue Hindmarsh should have disclosed the investigation to ensure court transparency and maintain expert integrity.
#expert-witness-disclosure #lucy-letby-trial #criminal-procedure-rules #professional-misconduct-investigation #judicial-integrity
Read at www.theguardian.com
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