Expert witness reports can play a vital role in asylum decisions, particularly when they provide essential background on the conditions that force people to flee their home countries. But to be effective, and to be accepted by the Immigration Tribunal, these reports must meet a range of legal and procedural requirements.
In an important new initiative, the University of London's Refugee Law Initiative (RLI) has just launched an intensive one-day expert witness training course designed to improve the quality of expert reports used in UK asylum cases.
This initiative is all the more important in light of November's Practice Direction of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which introduced significant new requirements for expert evidence and expert reports. RLI's much needed new one-day training course is specifically designed to help experts meet these requirements, making sure their work is both credible and impactful.
The training is suitable for those who have done some expert witness work and for researchers who have relevant expertise on the displacement dynamics and human rights and/or conflict situations in a specific country that cause people to flee.
Led by the RLI's Dr Victorie Knox, who brings over a decade of experience as an expert witness in successful asylum claims, the course walks participants through every stage of writing a report that meets the Tribunal's requirements. Backed by supervising lawyers at the RLI Law Clinic, the course combines legal know-how with practical insights, so you'll leave confident about how to structure your report, what to include (and what to avoid), and how to communicate your findings clearly.
The course will cover:
- The role of the expert witness report in asylum cases and the responsibility and legal obligations (UK) of the expert witness in this jurisdiction.
- How to compile, structure and substantiate expert witness reports on countries that you have research expertise on.
- Practicalities such as advertising, securing work, setting fees and taking instructions from legal representatives.
- Guidance on working ethically, protecting one's wellbeing and attending tribunals.
When and where
The first training session takes place in person at Senate House, University of London, on 30 June 2025. Spaces are limited, so early booking is essential.
Click here for further details and to apply.
To attend the course, you'll need to register by 5 June 2025. All applications are reviewed by the RLI to ensure participants have the requisite expertise to act as expert witnesses in asylum cases.
Experts listed in EIN's Directory of Experts on Countries of Origin are eligible for a special discounted rate of just £299 for the 30th June session.
You can also register your interest with RLI for future sessions, including refresher courses and online options. Future sessions will be held on 22 September 2025, 5 December 2025, and 16 February 2026. A special discounted rate of £375 will be available for people listed in the EIN Directory of Experts.