Expert Witness Immunity and the Regulation of Experts General Medical Council v Meadow [2006] EWCA Civ 1390; [2007] 1 All ER 1

In the landmark decision of General Medical Council v Meadow [2006] EWCA Civ 1390; [2007] 1 All ER 1 the English Court of Appeal determined that the principle of 'witness immunity'does not protect experts from accountability to their regulatory bodies for substandard forensic work in court or in preparation for court. This article reviews the reasoning in the decision, its place amongst other decisions on the subject in the United States and Australia, and its ramifications for mental health professionals. It argues that a series of matters can already be distilled from decided cases that could constitute the basis for codes of forensic conduct for mental health professionals.