Letters to the Editor sent to TIMES ,THE (LONDON) - Expert Witness report flawed by David M Foreman, Consultant and Visiting Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Dear Editor:

Camilla Cavendish's article seems to misunderstand the professional concern Professor Ireland has raised.  We are all used to journalists turning preliminary reports into attention-grabbing headlines with a false sense of certainty; what is different here is that the attention-grabbing headlines carry the byline of the report's lead author.  For example, her Mail article emphasises the risks presented by "unqualified" psychologists, but her own data, published online, shows no significant differences between whether psychologists meet her qualification standards or not.  Likewise, while her online report signals considerable concern from early peer reviewers, sufficient for her to withdraw some analyses, the implications of this do not appear in her Mail article.  This type of publication has been roundly condemned in relation to the marketing of drugs, but seems to meet with the approval of your correspondent.  

The flurry of recent negative publicity relating to expert witnesses follows a hotly contested attempt by the Government to reduce  fees payable to expert witnesses as part of their attempt to reduce the legal aid bill.  Camilla Cavendish is already on record as expressing concern that legal aid cuts could adversely affect the quality and availability of legal advice available to families in complex cases.  Many professionals are working to improve the quality of expert assistance to the Courts, though research and training.  I do not understand why Camilla Cavendish is silent on  cuts to expert witness fees which will surely reduce the quality and quantity of expert advice available to children, and supports an article which bases strong and influential opinions on inadequate evidence, despite her expressed view that behaving in this way in wrong.

Yours faithfully,

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