Competence
Definition
The duty to opine only within the expert's validated area of expertise, using methods that are scientifically sound and, in most jurisdictions, generally accepted in the relevant field. Competence also requires the expert to keep knowledge current.
Related terms
- Accreditation
- Formal recognition by a standards body (such as UKAS in the UK, A2LA in the US, or NABL in India) that a...
- Disclosure duty
- The obligation to report all material findings, including those that undermine the instructing party's position. Negative results, method limitations, known error rates,...
- Duty to the court
- The obligation of expert witnesses in UK proceedings (and, to varying degrees, in other jurisdictions) to assist the court with objective, unbiased...
- Gatekeeping
- The judicial function, codified in the United States by Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993) and Federal Rule of Evidence 702, of...
- Independence
- The requirement that an expert's opinion is formed solely on the evidence and the expert's own professional judgment, free from pressure from...
Explained in
- Codes of Conduct for Forensic ExpertsThe duty to opine only within the expert's validated area of expertise, using methods that are scientifically sound and, in most jurisdictions, generally accep...