News Item

Dr Emily Henderson and Professor Fred Seymour released their research report titled ‘Expert Witnesses Under Examination in the New Zealand Criminal and Family Courts’ on Friday 8 March.

The report has been published by the University of Auckland’s School of Psychology and is now available on the Law Foundation website.

The authors say their research examines the experiences of experts who testify in both the criminal and Family Courts in New Zealand, focusing specifically on cases of child abuse and neglect, and sexual assault generally. The study considers whether there is truth in the anecdotal accounts of widespread reluctance amongst experts, and it examines lawyers’ and judges’ suspicions of bias amongst experts. It also looks at the court processes experts find most difficult and proposes a number of solutions.

The Law Foundation is providing funding of up to $20,000 for this project.