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Expert witnesses may be more adept at derailing government suits against banks than lawyers, particularly if they are well-versed in specific areas of banking. Banks should use a number of different experts and choose those who have large support staffs. The value of such witnesses is that they can translate regulatory jargon into plain English for jurors and place banking practices in context. But, at $100 to $400 an hour, they don't come cheap., When the government sues, a banker's best friend is not always a lawyer. Rather, the banker's fate may lie in the hands of an expert witness. These professionals take the [...]

The need for collectors to have suspected stamp errors verified by experts is stressed. Discussed are errors or flaws relating to color, such as missing colors, and changes in color due to light or chemicals. Most dealers lack the knowledge to be able to confer error status on a stamp., One of the more frequent questions that collectors ask is, 'When (or why) do I need to have a stamp or cover expertized?' This is especially relevant for those who [...]

There have been an increasing number of complaints and litigation cases within the National Health Service over the recent past, with many such cases needing expert opinion. An expert witness may be on the side of the plaintiff or the defendant. Experts who agree to advise on cases must have a strong grasp of the complaint or action and must gather all the information required before preparing and submitting written recommendations. Advice to those called on as expert witnesses in health service litigation is presented.

The Supreme Court decision in the case Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals of Jun 28, 1993, makes it easier to use innovative scientific methods and theories as expert evidence in court. It overrules a previous doctrine set by the 1923 Frye v. U.S. case, whereby results from an unproven polygraph test were dismissed as unscientific. In the Daubert case, the Supreme Court required that the reliability of lesser known studies regarding the link between a drug and birth defects be reassessed by the judge instead of being dismissed as unscientific evidence., When is a fact scientifically valid? Or, more to the point, when will a court of law recognize a fact as scientifically sound? Those heady questions were the subject of [...]

When performing audit responsibilities, accountants frequently rely on expert opinions from others; the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales has developed an auditing standard regarding the use of expert or specialist services. The full text of this auditing standard is provided. The standard provides guidance as to when to use the services of a specialist, how to judge the competence and objectivity of the specialist employed, defining the scope of the work that the specialist is to perform, evaluating the specialist's work results, and reporting the findings of the specialist within the audit.