Discover How We Can Support Your Witnesses Further
Aside from providing familiarisation sessions for witnesses due to appear in a variety of legal hearings, Bond Solon also offers courses for witnesses in the following areas:
For more information or to book a session, please contact us by filling the form below, call 020 7549 2549 or email info@bondsolon.com.
Interpretation Services
Bond Solon have links with some of the top UK and overseas-based interpreters.
If you require an interpreter for the purposes of our training, or indeed for an upcoming hearing, please feel free to get in touch.
Please note interpreter terms for the purposes of our training sessions are stricter than Bond Solon’s terms (see across):
Should Bond Solon engage an interpreter on your behalf to attend a course, cancellation of the interpreter’s services must be made in writing and received by us at least five full working days prior to courses wherever held. In the event that Bond Solon receive notice of cancellation fewer than five full working days prior to the course, the interpreter’s fee is liable. Should the services of an interpreter be cancelled more than five but less than 30 calendar days prior to the course date, a retainer fee of £800 shall be payable as a fair reflection of the losses actually incurred by the interpreter if the assignment is lost. For cancellations received further than 30 days from the course date, no fees are due
Investigative Interview Preparation for Interviewees
This course is designed for those who are to be the subject of an investigative interview.
The session will help them:
- Understand the interviewing process
- Their rights when being interviewed
- The different questioning techniques used during interviews
As such, interviewees will be in a position to answer questions clearly and effectively.
Expert Witness Report Writing
An expert witness’s report is a vital element in litigation. It must be clear, succinct, independent and well presented.
Many experts develop their own report-writing style or adopt other people’s. But they’ve rarely received constructive feedback from lawyers on what’s actually required from their written evidence.
This course explores what lawyers and the courts expect and require from an expert witness’s report. You’ll be taught how to assess your own and other experts’ reports, and to produce, quickly and consistently, reports that are court-compliant and that can withstand cross-examination.
Concurrent Expert Evidence (Hot Tubbing)
Since April 2013, judges are able to order that civil experts give their evidence concurrently, standing side by side in the witness box. Colloquially known as ‘Hot-Tubbing’, the judge and advocates will question the expert witnesses together, and experts may also put questions to each other.
The course will look at the theory, practice of giving concurrent expert evidence. You will explore the new procedures and experience giving concurrent expert evidence. Delegates will be divided into pairs and will conduct a short expert meeting to establish areas of agreement and disagreement. You will then give concurrent evidence and receive feedback on your performance.
This one-day training course will ensure that you are able to present concurrent expert evidence effectively and demonstrate to instructing parties that you hold the requisite skills and knowledge.
Discussions between Experts
Meetings and discussions between experts are increasingly being requested by the courts in an attempt to save court time, reduce legal costs and bring about a settlement between the parties.
These discussions between experts may feel more informal than the courtroom, but can be just as important to the outcome of the case.
This course will provide experts with a comprehensive overview of what these discussions entail, possible pitfalls and the implications if best practice is not followed.
Experts will gain a thorough understanding of the court procedure rules governing discussions between experts and the court’s intention behind these discussions.
Role play exercises on the course will enable experts to apply this knowledge and practice the skills necessary to conduct effective discussions to best practice standards.
National Register of University Certificated Expert Witnesses
The expert witness register exists for two primary reasons:
- To offer law firms and other instructing parties a trusted source of quality-assured expert witnesses who have been Bond Solon-trained, but also assessed and deemed competent by top law schools to perform the expert witness role
- To offer Cardiff University and University of Aberdeen certificate holders a platform that promotes their expert witness services, skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications