Monica Young has written a case analysis for the recent Court of Appeal case of H (Children: Expertise of Witness) for Lexis Nexis.

This case involved an appeal in respect of final care orders by the first respondent mother who submitted that the expert psychologist, instructed by the court to conduct a psychological assessment of the mother and the children, had been acting outside the limits of his expertise. The appeal was dismissed and the Court of Appeal gave helpful guidance on how any party wishing to challenge an expert’s qualifications or expertise should do so. The judgment also approves the approach in recent case law regarding the use of psychological experts in family proceedings, including what an expert is, the relevant factors in considering an expert’s qualifications and expertise and the court’s discretion when considering expert evidence in general.