Called into question

Just because someone has Doctor or Professor in front of their name, it doesn't necessarily mean they have all the answers. Jennie Lindon offers some healthy scepticism. A spate of recent court cases has raised serious consequences for families when expert opinion is accepted without challenge. Many examples that have hit the headlines featured paediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow, who frequently acted as an expert witness in cases about the possible non-accidental injury and death of children. The publicly reported cases have been heard in the criminal court, but Meadow's personal testimony has also been heavily used within the civil...