Parliament Workbench
Data: Official Report to 12 Nov 2026

Official Report · Committee

Current Petitions

Expert Witness System (PE625)

Wednesday 4 February 2004 Public Petitions Committee Petitions 4 contributions · 2 speakers

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The record

4 contributions
Michael McMahon Lab The Convener · Hamilton North and Bellshill
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PE625 concerns the expert witness system in the Scottish courts. The petitioner calls on the Scottish Parliament to investigate the use of the expert witness system in Scottish courts. The committee considered the petition at its meeting on 29 October 2002 and agreed to seek comments from the Scottish Executive and the Law Society of Scotland.The Executive has indicated that it"has no plans to introduce any kind of formal system of accreditation of expert witnesses."and the Law Society of Scotland states that it"would not support the introduction of a formal system of accredited expert witnesses as suggested by the Petition."

John Scott Con Ayr
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Given the responses from the Executive and from the Law Society of Scotland, I do not think that we need to take any further action.

Michael McMahon Lab The Convener · Hamilton North and Bellshill
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Is that agreed?Members indicated agreement.

Michael McMahon Lab The Convener · Hamilton North and Bellshill
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We have had a response from the two bodies that would take the issue forward and they do not see that the proposal in the petition is a solution to the issue. There is therefore nothing that we can do.

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