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27 October 2023 / Mark Solon
Issue: 8046 / Categories: Features , Profession
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The 20-page expert witness report: will font size reduce?

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Mark Solon considers the case for brevity as the intermediate track ushers in a new rule
  • A 20-page rule applies to expert reports for the intermediate track.
  • Overall shorter is better but the potential problems should be considered.

Expert witnesses are getting restless. The new intermediate track for civil claims is to limit expert reports to 20 pages. Is this a good thing that will speed up justice and help courts focus on what really matters or will justice not be done?

The 20-page rule

Rule 28.14 (3) states that unless the court orders otherwise, in proceedings started after 1 October 2023: ‘Aany expert report shall not exceed 20 pages, excluding any necessary photographs, plans and academic or technical articles attached to the report.’ This is an important change for experts who will now have to be concise. Mark Twain famously said: ‘I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.’ Keeping to the point may not be

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