“Too often (indeed far too often) witnesses who have had statements prepared for them by solicitors tell the Judge that matters in the statement are not correct; they say (all too believably) that they simply signed what the solicitor had drafted for them without reading it through carefully and critically. This reflects badly not only on the witness, but on the whole case presented by the party calling the witness.”
Handbook for Litigants in Person – written by five judges).
This webinar aims to help litigators avoid the main problems in relation to witness evidence and witness statements.
- The mandatory requirements for witness statements and the consequences of non-compliance
- Protecting the witness from the lawyer
- Protecting the lawyer from the witness
- Witness statements and proportionality
- Where lawyers go badly wrong with witness evidence
- Explaining the significance of the statement of truth
- A checklist for taking a statement
Barrister
Kings Chambers, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and 4-5 Gray's Inn Square, London
Gordon was called to the Bar in 1991 having originally qualified and practised as a solicitor. He practices from Kings Chambers, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and 4-5 Gray's Inn Square, London. He works in the area of personal injury litigation and in the law relating to civil procedure, limitation and costs. He has a particular interest in issues relating to damages, evidence, costs and procedure.
Gordon is a former executive committee member of APIL and has lectured widely for APIL and CPIL on personal injury and procedure topics. Gordon is the author of Personal Injury Practice Notes (Cavendish); The APIL Guide to Fatal Accidents (now in its 4th edition); the 14th edition of Munkman and Exall on Damages for Personal Injury Death and Periodical Payments the New Law. He also wrote the section on limitation for the APIL loose-leaf and contributes two chapters to Munkman on Employer’s Liability... view full biography