Expert Witness

Criminal

Finding an expert witness shouldn’t be a trial

Dedicated to providing high quality expert witnesses for Criminal Law cases

The pressure that comes with criminal cases for solicitors and legal professionals, whether acting for the defence or the prosecution, is profound. With so much at stake for the defendant, victim, families and all the professionals involved in criminal proceedings, time is always of the essence. Delays and issues help no-one and can cause great distress.

When psychologists are instructed to act in criminal proceedings, their expert witness report and testimony can be key to the case, and to the provision of effective representation. Not only will you need an expert witness from the right area of Psychological specialty, but they must be skilled in communicating their findings in court, supply a high quality report in a timely manner and be willing to work for Legal Aid rates. You may also need very specific specialist knowledge, cultural awareness, language or the ability to meet tight deadlines.

Finding the right Psychologist to act as your expert witness can be time-consuming.

Thanks to our extensive network of over 1000 highly experienced and pre-vetted Psychologists, with one call to us, you will find the right Psychology expert. They will have the appropriate skills and experience, be guaranteed to work at Legal Aid rates and supply reports when required. You’ll also receive a host of added value services from advice and guidance, 100% proof-reading of reports and all administration and bookings handled by our proactive, friendly team.

In person & remote assessments options

Much has changed since the pandemic and our experts have adapted to the increasing accessibility provided by remote assessments.  Remote assessments can save time and money but of course, sometimes an in person assessment is required and our experts can advise you on the most appropriate method, to ensure that the assessment and report are robust and of the highest quality.

Our Criminal Law Expert Witness services/assessments include:
  • Mental capacity and Fitness to Plead
  • Re-offending risk Assessments
  • IQ and cognitive functioning
  • Suggestibility and false confessions
  • Witness Reliability
  • Criminal responsibility
  • Pre-sentencing reports
  • Neuropsychological Assessments
  • Mental health and personality disorder assessments
  • Sex offender risk assessments
  • Prison parole hearing assessments
  • Assessments of Indeterminate Prisoners for Public Protection (IPP)

Psychology Direct – A dedicated, professional service

  • Three CVs and fees within 24 hours
  • Psychologists are trained, experienced and skilled in reporting their findings to the court
  • Psychologists from all specialties, including Forensic, Neuro, Clinical and Educational available from our national register of over 1000 vetted professionals
  • All Psychologists work to Legal Aid rates
  • Standard expert witness reports usually supplied within 4-6 weeks
  • All reports proof-read by our in-house team
  • Able to meet cultural, language or geographical requirements
  • Team on hand to book appointments and handle case management
  • Fast track service for urgent cases

Do you need an expert witness for your Criminal case?

Contact us

  • Wide network of qualified Psychologists available with experience in all specialisms across Psychology and Educational Psychology
  • All Psychologists are HCPC registered, have the enhanced DBS certificate and are on the DBS update service
  • Competitive rates
  • High-quality reports and recommendations produced quickly
  • Further ongoing expert Psychological support available as required
  • Client team dedicated to an empathetic, friendly, efficient and professional service
  • All administration handled by us
Psychiatry Direct

Need a Psychiatrist?

Did you know that we also offer Psychiatric services?

Our fully vetted Psychiatrists are qualified and Section 12 approved to provide detailed, medically-based analysis and assessment of a person’s state of mind or mental health.

How we can help you
Get in touch

Contact us using form below, or call us on 01306 879 975 to find out how we can help.

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Are you looking for more information?

Why not look through our resource centre?

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FAQs

Your questions answered

Yes. We are fully aware and understanding of our clients’ budgets, so all our Psychologists work to Legal Aid rates.

We can also supply CVs and quotes for 3 Experts with the full breakdown of hours, as required by the Legal Aid Agency.

First of all, contact us! You can call us on 01306 879 975. You can request a call back. You can email us or use our contact form. Once we have your initial contact request, we’ll respond within an hour. One of our Client Managers will take a brief of your requirements, and get to work straight away, using their knowledge of our network of Psychologists and Psychiatrists to get you 3 CVs and quotes within 24 hours. Once an Expert Witness is instructed, bookings for assessments and all other administration required for the case will be managed by us and we will ensure that the report is delivered within your required timescales.

We vett all of our psychologists prior to registration and only accept applications from psychologists who are registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and/or the British Psychological Society. We also ask that they provide an anonymous copy of a previous report for us to check, before we give them their first instruction. In addition to this all reports are quality checked by our Client Management team prior to being released to you.

Finally, we constantly monitor the performance of our psychologists in terms of their ability to adhere to agreed fees & deadlines as we appreciate that these are also very important.

Our register of Psychologists contains professionals in a wide variety of specialist areas. Contact us for help with finding Expert Witnesses in Family Law, Criminal Law, PI/Civil Law, Immigration Law, Prison Law and Employment Law.

At Psychology Direct we have a reputation for being able to deliver against even the most demanding deadlines. We understand that sometimes legal professionals need rapid access to high quality Expert Witness reports.

We have an excellent track record in going the extra mile to produce reports within days or weeks when required and exceeding our clients’ expectations on speed and efficiency.

If you need urgent help, just give us a call and we will show you what we can do!