TA1 Environmental Law
Ballroom E, Level 4
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Tuesday, 11 November 2003
Chair: Pepper, Chris ,
(168) The Admissibility of Scientific Expert Evidence in Environmental Litigation.
Abazari, Ali1, 1 Lloyd Gosselink
ABSTRACT- Success in environmental litigation frequently depends on complicated scientific and technical evidence. Environmental experts, whose testimony is based on scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge, are often used to help the trier of fact. In fact, in complex environmental litigation cases, the testimony of these expert witnesses is indispensable, especially on the issues of causation and calculation of damages. Throughout the years, courts have grappled with the problems surrounding the admissibility of expert testimony; this is especially true in environmental litigation cases where courts deal with constant scientific innovations in a myriad of scientific specialties. In this discussion, I will discuss the current standard for scientific expert testimony.
Key words: expert testimony