Watch our latest fitness to practise webinar on expert evidence and a fitness to practise case law update, presented on 29 June 2022.
Guy Micklewright & Dr Abhi Pal cover the practicalities of instructing an expert:
- Selecting the right expert
- Drafting instructions
- Conferencing
- Expert reports
- Joint reports
- Issues at hearing and how to manage them.
Amy Woolfson discusses:
- A professional disciplinary case law update and analysis of key themes.
Presenters:
- Dr Abhi Pal: BDS (London), MGDSRCSI, FFGDP (UK), FDSRCPS (Glasgow).
- Guy Micklewright: Fitness to practise barrister at 5 St Andrew’s Hill.
- Amy Woolfson: Fitness to practise barrister at 5 St Andrew’s Hill.
Abhi Pal is an Independent Expert Witness in dental matters, was until recently the Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP) until becoming the first elected President of the College of General Dentistry. He has worked in general dentistry for over 30 years, spending most of this time as a principal dentist at a mixed NHS and private practice in Edgbaston. He was a Dental Adviser to Heart of Birmingham PCT from 2001 to 2013 during which time he routinely gave clinical advice in the management of dental complaints. He has been awarded the Expert Witness Certificate from Cardiff University Law School.
Abhi Pal is frequently instructed as an expert witness in fitness to practise cases by both the GDC and by defence teams and has been giving evidence before fitness to practise committees as an expert witness since 2007. He is also regularly instructed by both claimants and defendants to provide expert reports in clinical negligence proceedings.
Guy Micklewright: is a specialist fitness to practise, disciplinary and regulatory barrister, having practised in the area for 15 years, acting for both regulators and registrants. Guy has particular experience of complex disciplinary cases before a variety of healthcare, accountancy, legal, education and engineering regulators. Guy his recognised for his expertise in proceedings before chartered bodies, and the particular issues those proceeding give rise to. Guy regularly provides training to statutory and non-statutory regulators and he is ranked as a 'Rising Star' in The Legal 500 [2020 and 2021] for his professional discipline and regulatory work (Solicitors Guide). Guy's practice includes university disciplinary appeal work, judicial reviews, education law, governance advisory work, GDPR advisory work, inquests and firearms/shotgun licensing appeals.
Amy Woolfson: has extensive experience of professional discipline and regulatory cases. Amy has represented registrants and regulators in proceedings concerning Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, Architects, and Social Workers. In 2021 Amy successfully completed a secondment with Kingsley Napley LLP where she presented a range of cases on behalf of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Amy defends regulated persons in criminal matters and can advise on DBS barring appeals.
In addition to her professional discipline practice, Amy has experience in guiding families through student misconduct allegations, securing excellent results whilst keeping conflict to a minimum.
