Psychiatric expert witness for Edinburgh proceedings
A significant proportion of Scottish civil litigation calls in Edinburgh, whether at the Court of Session or Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Dr Qureshi accepts instructions from Edinburgh-based agents and their opposite numbers throughout the east of Scotland, and arranges assessment, reporting and, where required, attendance in Edinburgh to suit the case rather than the practice's own base.
Court of Session work
The Court of Session is Scotland's supreme civil court, and its Outer House deals with a substantial volume of personal injury and clinical negligence actions of the value and complexity that call for psychiatric expert evidence. Instructions in Court of Session actions are accepted from agents on either side, subject to the usual conflict check described under instructing a psychiatric expert witness.
An Edinburgh venue matters most where evidence is to be led at proof, or where counsel requires a consultation locally. The underlying assessment can, in most cases, be carried out wherever is most practical for the examinee, which is frequently Glasgow — see the Glasgow page for detail on that arrangement.
Travel arrangements from Glasgow
Edinburgh is under an hour from Dr Qureshi's Glasgow base by road or rail, and appointments and court attendance in Edinburgh are arranged as a matter of routine rather than exception. Diet dates, options hearings and pre-proof meetings should be notified as early as possible so that travel and any overnight stay can be planned around other commitments; timescales are set out under fees and timescales.
Consulting venue in Edinburgh
Where an in-person assessment in Edinburgh itself is preferred — for example because the examinee cannot readily travel to Glasgow — a suitable consulting venue is agreed case by case. [CLIENT TO CONFIRM: preferred Edinburgh consulting venue.] Instructing agents with a strong preference for a particular location should raise this at the outset so it can be accommodated in the letter of instruction.
The remote alternative
Where an in-person appointment in either Glasgow or Edinburgh cannot be arranged within the case timetable, or where the examinee's circumstances make travel difficult, a remote assessment by secure video is often the more practical route, without any compromise in the standard of the report. See remote assessments for when this is, and is not, appropriate.
Instructions accepted
Edinburgh instructions span the same range of work as elsewhere, including clinical negligence and mental capacity and testamentary capacity. The complete list is at expertise.
Frequently asked questions
- Does an Edinburgh case require an Edinburgh assessment?
- No. Many actions raised in the Court of Session or Edinburgh Sheriff Court are supported by an assessment carried out in Glasgow or remotely; an Edinburgh appointment is arranged where it is more convenient for the examinee or the agent.
- How much notice is needed to arrange an Edinburgh appointment?
- Notice requirements are similar to those for Glasgow appointments and are confirmed at instruction stage — see fees and timescales under the instructing section.
- Can Dr Qureshi attend proof at the Court of Session in person?
- Yes. Attendance at proof, options hearings and consultations with counsel in Edinburgh is arranged in the same way as attendance at any Scottish court, subject to diary availability.
- What if travel to Edinburgh is not practical for the examinee?
- A remote assessment by secure video is considered as an alternative, or, where in-person assessment is clinically required, a Glasgow appointment may be more practical for both parties.
Instructing Dr Qureshi
Instructions are accepted from pursuer and defender agents, insurers, regulatory bodies and occupational health providers. A conflict check is carried out before any instruction is accepted.
Or call 07739 587092.