Giving Evidence in Court
A two-hour evening webinar on giving evidence in court, covering the expert's duty under CPR Part 35, reports that withstand scrutiny, the joint statement, and performing under cross-examination, with Dr Wael Agur and Dr Inna Sokolova.
Dr Wael Agur and Dr Inna Sokolova
Hosted by: PEERs (Professional Expert Empowerment and Resources), Spotlight Publishing Ltd
Giving Evidence in Court is a practical two-hour evening for clinicians who write expert reports and may be called to give oral evidence. It opens with why experts end up in the witness box at all, the expert's overriding duty to the court, and CPR Part 35 in a nutshell.
Dr Wael Agur and Dr Inna Sokolova then work through reports written to settle rather than to litigate, the statement of truth and the expert's declaration, and the joint statement where cases are won or lost. The road from instruction to the witness box follows: conferences with counsel, reading the trial bundle, and a checklist for the week before trial.
The second half is about performance under pressure. Demeanour, body language and voice in cross-examination, answering the question actually asked, when to concede, staying in your lane, and how concurrent evidence works in the hot tub. Two interactive pelvic mesh cases close the session, one in clinical negligence and one in product liability, each with the allegation and response, the preparation, multiple choice questions, and the outcome.
Online. £79 per ticket. Times shown are UK time (GMT).
Event details
- Starts
- 26 November 2026 at 19:00 GMT
- Ends
- 26 November 2026 at 21:00 GMT
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Price
- £79
- Host
- PEERs (Professional Expert Empowerment and Resources), Spotlight Publishing Ltd
- Speaker
- Dr Wael Agur and Dr Inna Sokolova
What we'll cover
18:55
Welcome and housekeeping
19:00
Overview: why experts end up in court, and how to stay out of it
Wael Agur. The expert's overriding duty to the court; CPR Part 35 in a nutshell.
19:10
Bulletproof reports: writing to settle, not to litigate
Inna Sokolova. Structuring the report to withstand scrutiny; the statement of truth and the expert's declaration; common pitfalls that drag experts into the witness box.
19:25
The joint statement: where cases are won or lost
Wael Agur. Preparing for the experts' meeting; areas of agreement and disagreement; drafting traps.
19:40
From instruction to witness box
Wael Agur and Inna Sokolova. Conferences with counsel; reading the trial bundle; the week before trial checklist.
19:55
Q&A
20:05
Break
20:10
In the witness box: presence, cross-examination and the hot tub
Wael Agur and Inna Sokolova. Demeanour, body language and voice under pressure; answering the question asked and when to concede; staying in your lane; concurrent evidence.
20:25
Interactive session: clinical negligence in court, a pelvic mesh case
Inna Sokolova. Allegation and response; preparation; interactive multiple choice questions; outcome and lessons.
20:40
Interactive session: product liability in court, a pelvic mesh case
Wael Agur. Allegation and response; preparation; interactive multiple choice questions; outcome and lessons.
20:55
Q&A
21:00
Finish
Flexible.