115 LAWYER MONTHLY EXPERT WITNESS AWARDS 2025 replace a strong safety culture where leadership genuinely prioritises risk management and employee wellbeing. In my experience, organisations with a proactive safety culture, where leadership is engaged and employees feel empowered to speak up, tend to prevent incidents and foster a safer working environment. Leadership development plays a key role here, ensuring that those in charge not only understand compliance but also champion a culture of safety and responsibility throughout the organisation. What’s your approach when preparing a report or testimony for legal proceedings, especially when the subject matter is complex or highly specialised? When preparing a report or testimony, I ensure clarity and precision. I start by thoroughly understanding the specific context of the case, reviewing all relevant documentation, conducting relevant person interviews, attending sites for inspections, and identifying pertinent issues for further investigation. I then structure my findings in a way that addresses both the technical and legal aspects, making sure that complex concepts are broken down into easily digestible insights. Throughout, I maintain a focus on objectivity, ensuring that my opinions are based on facts and supported by data and legislation, which helps establish credibility and relevance in the proceedings. Looking ahead, what emerging trends do you think will have the greatest impact on expert witness work in areas like WHS and risk governance? One emerging trend is the increasing role of data analytics in WHS and risk governance. As organisations collect more data on workplace safety, incidents, and operational risks, expert witnesses will need to rely more on data-driven insights to support their opinions. Another trend is the growing integration of AI in risk management and compliance, which will likely lead to the need for expert witnesses who understand how these technologies impact workplace safety and compliance processes. As regulations evolve, especially in areas like psychosocial hazards and mental health, there will be a shift toward a more holistic view of risk, requiring expert witnesses to address not just physical but also psychological and cultural safety issues. Concerningly, the advancement of AI will also see Expert Witnesses looking to utilise platforms to generate information and present themselves as experts when they don’t actually have the experience or practical application of the knowledge they include within their reports. This will be something for legal practitioners and barristers to scrutinise to ensure the accuracy and validity of the information that may form the basis of the argument.
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