Article published: 2 April 2025
Only common sense? Now may not be the best time to refer to Thomas Paine’s advice to Americans that they should seek independence from Britain, but a keen understanding of what common sense means is important for an expert.
It’s trite to say that experts are there to assist the court on matters within their expertise but it tends to irritate judges if experts provide opinions that tell them what they already know. If you’re being asked to give opinions about matters that are really common sense it’s important to stop and consider if this is really necessary.
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