Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 196153

Criminal Proceedings: Expert Evidence

Tabled: 1 September 2023

Answered: 6 September 2023

Named Day

Question

Valerie Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of shortages in the number of experts available to provide specialist evidential reports on (a) the criminal justice system and (b) conviction rates.

Answer

We recognise that expert evidence is a key element of many cases and so are taking a number of steps to ensure the availability of experts. We have increased expert witness fees (including forensic science experts) by 15% in cases where legal aid is grant...

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