Answers, before you instruct.

An expert witness is a qualified specialist who provides independent evidence on matters requiring specialist knowledge, such as country conditions, cultural practices, risk assessment, or credibility factors. Their role is to assist the court or tribunal, not to advocate for either party.

An expert witness has an overriding duty to help the court or tribunal on matters within their expertise. That duty overrides any obligation to the instructing party. Reports must be independent, balanced, and distinguish fact from opinion.

A country condition report is an expert document providing detailed, current, and referenced analysis of conditions in a claimant's country of origin, including political situation, human rights record, treatment of specific groups, availability of state protection, and internal relocation viability where relevant.

Under CPR Part 35, an expert witness report must include a statement of qualifications, a summary of instructions received, the substance of the facts relied on, the expert's opinion, and a declaration of duty to the court. The report must be addressed to the court, not to the instructing party alone.

Submit a short instruction brief with the country of origin, where proceedings sit, the service you need, your timeline, and a summary of the issues the expert must address. We review it, confirm expert availability, and provide a scope and fee proposal, typically within one business day.

Include the claimant's country of origin, forum and proceeding type, key factual issues, protected characteristics or claim basis (for example political opinion, religion, LGBTQ status), relevant dates, any prior country evidence relied on, hearing or filing deadlines, and the specific questions you need the expert to address. If something is missing we will ask for it when we reply.

Yes. All enquiries and instructions are handled in strict confidence. Case details are not shared beyond the instructing relationship and the assigned expert without your consent. Submitting a form does not create a client relationship or constitute legal advice.

Standard reports are typically delivered within 10 to 15 working days from agreed scope and receipt of instructions. Express (5 to 7 working days) and urgent (2 to 3 working days) timelines are available subject to expert availability and case complexity.

Fees depend on country specialism, scope, report length, urgency, and whether oral testimony is required. We provide a written scope and fee proposal before any work begins. Contact us or submit an instruction brief for a case-specific quote.

We provide expert witness and advisory services worldwide. Our panel covers country and regional specialisms across the UK, US, EU, Australia, Canada, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and international protection forums including UNHCR contexts.

Yes. Experts can give oral evidence in person or remotely, with preparation tailored to the procedural context of the tribunal, court, or arbitral forum. Oral testimony is often instructed alongside a written report or where the opposing party challenges expert analysis.

Yes. We work with law firms, legal aid organisations, and NGOs on asylum and international protection cases. We understand resource constraints in publicly funded and charitable casework and aim to make specialist evidence accessible where it is needed.

Yes. We provide experts with experience in LGBTQ asylum claims, including country conditions for LGBTQ individuals, persecution risk, discretion doctrine analysis where relevant, and credibility factors specific to sexual orientation and gender identity claims.

Yes. If you do not have a lawyer, you can use our contact form to ask how expert evidence might help your case. We can explain what an expert witness does and how to raise the need for one with your legal representative or tribunal.