Expert Witness Participation in Civil and Criminal Proceedings

The interests of the public and both the medical and legal professions are best served when scientifically sound and unbiased expert witness testimony is readily available in civil and criminal proceedings. As members of the medical community, patient advocates, and private citizens, pediatricians h...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2017-03, Vol.139 (3), p.1
Main Authors: Narang, Sandeep K, Paul, Stephan R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Criminal procedure
Ethics
Expert Testimony - ethics
Expert Testimony - legislation & jurisprudence
Expert witness testimony
Humans
Malpractice - legislation & jurisprudence
Obligations
Pediatrics
Physicians
Physicians - ethics
Physicians - legislation & jurisprudence
Standard of Care - legislation & jurisprudence
United States
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The interests of the public and both the medical and legal professions are best served when scientifically sound and unbiased expert witness testimony is readily available in civil and criminal proceedings. As members of the medical community, patient advocates, and private citizens, pediatricians have ethical and professional obligations to assist in the civil and criminal judicial processes. This technical report explains how the role of the expert witness differs in civil and criminal proceedings, legal and ethical standards for expert witnesses, and strategies that have been employed to deter unscientific and irresponsible testimony. A companion policy statement offers recommendations on advocacy, education, research, qualifications, standards, and ethical business practices all aimed at improving expert testimony.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.2016-3862