Single Joint Expert
Definition
An expert appointed jointly by the parties and the court, rather than by one side. Common in lower-value UK civil claims under the CPR. The single joint expert owes a duty to both parties and the court, which makes independence even more visible but can create difficulties in adversarial proceedings.
- Appointment
- Jointly by the parties and the court
- Common setting
- Lower-value UK civil claims under the CPR
- Duty owed to
- Both parties and the court equally
Common questions
How does a single joint expert differ from a party-appointed expert?+
A party-appointed expert is instructed and paid by one side and traditionally seen as aligned with that side's case, while a single joint expert is instructed by both parties together and owes an equal duty of independence to each side and to the court.
What difficulty can arise from using a single joint expert in fraud litigation?+
Because only one expert opinion is produced, a party who disagrees has limited scope to obtain a competing analysis without court permission, which can be contentious in complex fraud cases where methodology or interpretation of financial evidence is genuinely disputed.
Related terms
- Daubert Standard
- The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
- Expert Report
- A written document prepared by the expert before trial or hearing, setting out their qualifications, the materials reviewed, the methodology applied, and...
- Frye Standard
- The US legal test for admissibility of scientific evidence, originating from Frye v. United States (1923), which required that a technique be...
- Hot-Tubbing (Concurrent Evidence)
- A procedure, originating in Australia and adopted in some UK and international arbitration proceedings, in which experts from both sides are questioned...
- Part 35 (CPR)
- Part 35 of the UK Civil Procedure Rules governs expert evidence in civil proceedings in England and Wales. It imposes a codified...