MEDICAL EXPERT EVIDENCE-MICHAEL NOTT

[Alison J Stevens]

Medical Expert Evidence: The Continuing Failure Of The Legal System

Some years ago I wrote in On Line Opinion and other publications about
the failure of our legal system to heed the injustices that have
occurred concerning the beliefs and speculations of British kidney
specialist, Professor Sir Roy Meadow. These issues involve both civil
and criminal jurisdictions. A succession of UK, Queensland and USA
superior courts have found that Meadow’s cot deaths and Munchause
Syndrome By Proxy beliefs have no legal foundation – R v LM ruled the
MSBP label inadmissible evidence. The British General Medical Council
and the Royal Statistical Society have criticised Meadow’s use of
statistics and his lack of concern about the matter. I question why
Meadow’s discredited beliefs are still being used in Australia, in both
civil and criminal jurisdictions, as they are based on speculation,
beliefs and surmise – no substantive evidence of illegal acts or
probative evidence of children being at risk of harm.
Michael Nott, On Line Opinion

Value-expert medical witness.