The role of expert witnesses in asylum-seeking cases

In this seminar, Igor and Elena will explore the role of the ‘expert witness' in the British legal system, with particular reference to asylum seeking cases.

Individuals with certified knowledge of a particular social context are asked by judges to prepare a written report with the aim of clarifying particular and often controversial aspects of the claim. The expert witness thus helps the judge in assessing whether a person should be granted asylum.

The speakers will discuss the theoretical, practical, ethical, legal, and more broadly methodological implications of this process in an attempt to answer the following questions: how can academics convey their knowledge in a way that makes sense in the context of a court of law? What kind of moral dilemmas do they encounter in this context? Can experts be objective? How is the category of the ‘expert’ constructed and re-produced? What weight is attributed to the expert's opinion and what significance does it have in a precedent based legal system?

This in-person event will be particularly useful for migration scholars, legal experts, social scientists, policymakers.

Related links

• Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU)
• TCRU seminar series
• Social Research Institute