Please take into consideration that the views expressed in these articles are related to expert witnesses in the engineering field and those who are considering the use of an expert witness in an engineering based issue, including electrical, instrumentation, machine control, hazardous areas, and installations.

These articles are not intended to represent the views of expert witnesses in the variety of other disciplines and professions that have the need for expert witnesses and opinion, eg. medicine, civil engineering.

The articles on expert witness participation are intended to appear on our web site, with the intent of identifying the restraints, the rationale, logic, difficulties, and the need for that evidence, encountered in preparing the expert witnesses report.

It is also intended to identify and therefore invite constructive comment on the principles involved in presenting "expert opinion", and hopefully identifying to litigants the need for that evidence. They are not intended to be used as case studies or long theoretical diatribes. Early investigative or forensic engineering may save a lot of time, frustration and money.

The author is an electrical engineer, with considerable experience in instrumentation, control systems, electrical installations and machines. He has been called upon on numerous occasions to be an expert witness in cases involving equipment performance, failures, compliance, installation and incidents, within Australia and overseas. Perhaps fortunately, many of these matters being settled prior to a court appearance.