Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

CPR definition

What does CPR mean? In civil litigation practice, CPR refers to the civil procedure rules governing procedure in the High Court and County Court of England and Wales. Read with their Practice Directions, the CPR set out how claims are issued and served, case management, disclosure, evidence, trials, appeals, enforcement and costs, including detailed assessment in the Senior Courts Costs Office (scco). The rules are made under the Civil Procedure Act 1997 by the Civil Procedure Rule Committee; “CPR” is practitioner shorthand rather than a defined statutory term. The CPR and Practice Directions are published on the Ministry of Justice website...

Expert Witness Duties under CPR 35: Ikarian Reefer Principles, Experts’ Meetings and Joint Statements, Sanctions (weight, debarment, costs), Liability, AI Guidance, and Court and track requirements in England and Wales

Published by a LexisNexis Dispute Resolution expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note explores the nature and Scope of an expert witness’s duties when preparing to give, and giving, evidence within their expertise, by reference to the Civil Procedure Rules and case law. It addresses the expert’s overriding obligation to the court and considers what may follow if an expert does not fulfil those duties.

Key principles for experts

CPR 35.3 states that an expert must assist the court on issues within their expertise, and that this obligation overrides any duty owed to the instructing party. The most commonly cited account of an expert’s responsibilities is found in the judgment of Cresswell J in National Justice Compania Naviera SA v Prudential Assurance Co (the Ikarian Reefer) [1993] 2 Lloyds Rep 68 (not reported by LexisNexis®):

expert evidence should be, and be seen to be, the expert’s independent product, uninfluenced in form or content by the pressures of litigation
experts must provide impartial assistance to the court by offering an objective, unbiased opinion on matters within their expertise
an expert should not adopt the role of Advocate...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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