Family Justice Council Responses

The Family Justice Council (FJC) has published its response to the Chief Medical Officer's Report on expert witnesses, Bearing Good Witness (see January [2007] Fam Law 62). It states that many clinicians have expressed scepticism as to the capacity of the NHS organisations to deliver the changes proposed within any reasonable timetable and some clinicians have concerns as to the NHS organisations' ability to select the most appropriate specialists for the teams. In the long term, however, the FJC is of the view that the proposals offer a sustainable path to increasing the supply and quality of expert evidence. The Council sees no reason why a mixed economy of NHS teams and privately commissioned experts reports should not exist side by side. The FJC has also published its responses to the Government's Green Paper Care Matters (see November [2006] Fam Law 991) and a paper on linked care and placement order proceedings. For further information see May [2007] Fam Law and www.family-justice-council.org.uk.