Expert Witness Group

An Arboricultural Expert Witness may be required in legal cases involving trees or tree related issues. This could include disputes between neighbours over property damage caused by tree roots or branches, personal injury or wrongful death cases resulting from tree-related accidents, or cases involving tree preservation or removal.

In all cases, an Arboricultural Expert Witness must be able to provide objective, impartial, and scientifically sound testimony based on their specialised knowledge and experience in the field of arboriculture.

At Treework Environmental Practice, our Expert Witness Group provides the highest quality of advice and assistance designed to help our clients solve disputes involving trees and issues efficiently and economically.

Appointing an Arboricultural Expert Witness can provide several benefits in legal cases involving trees, including:

Expertise: Arboricultural Expert Witnesses have specialist knowledge and experience in the care, management, and maintenance of trees. They can provide objective, unbiased opinions based on their expertise that can help the court make informed decisions.

Clarity: Arboricultural Expert Witnesses can explain complex scientific and technical concepts related to trees and their care in a way that is easily understandable to the judge and jury. This can help to clarify the issues at hand and ensure that all parties have a clear understanding of the facts.

Evidence: Arboricultural Expert Witnesses can provide evidence to support their opinions, such as photographs, reports, or other documentation. This can help to strengthen their testimony and provide additional support for their opinions.

Objectivity: Arboricultural Expert Witnesses are expected to be objective and impartial in their testimony. This can help to ensure that the court receives unbiased opinions based on scientific facts rather than personal opinions or biases.

Confidence: Appointing an Arboricultural Expert Witness can provide confidence to the court that all relevant issues related to trees have been considered and addressed, and that the decision made is based on the best available information.

Through the Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon, Civil and Criminal Law Expert accreditation, our Expert Witness Group have a thorough understanding of Practice Direction 35, Pre action Protocols and of CPR Part 35 and considerable experience of cases relating to all aspects of arboriculture.
The Treework EWG have been called to give evidence in a wide variety of legal forums, including Civil, Criminal and the Coroners’ Courts, planning inquiries and professional conduct hearings. In 2023, more members of our senior staff be getting certified to meet the increasing demand that we have for this area of our business.

Our current Arboricultural Expert Witness Team is:

Neville Fay, MA (Hons), MICFor, MArborA, FLS, FRGS, FRSA

Matthew Searle, Bsc(Hons) MRTPI MICFor

Alex Needs, BA(Hons) MICFor MArborA RCArborA

The Treework Environmental Practice Expert Witness Group helps to support clients with:

• Personal injury claims
• Property Damage, including Subsidence.
• Forensic assessment of felled / collapsed trees or tree parts
• Resolving tree issues in the context of Planning and Construction
• TPO’s and Trees in Conservation

In addition, we also offer Arboricultural Mediation Services which can be a helpful resource for resolving disputes related to trees, providing a neutral, impartial, and knowledgeable third party to help facilitate discussions and find solutions that work for all parties involved. This can be helpful in situations where there is a conflict between neighbours, organizations, or government agencies over tree-related issues.

Overall, appointing an Arboricultural Expert Witness can be a valuable tool in legal cases involving trees, helping to ensure that the court has access to the best available information to make informed decisions.

To contact one of our team to find out more, click here.