About this programme

UK courts and tribunals increasingly need independent evidence on Kuwait — above all in asylum and statelessness appeals, where Kuwaiti claims have risen faster than the country guidance has been updated, but also in family cases with a Kuwaiti dimension, commercial disputes and extradition. Specialist knowledge of Kuwait is scarce, and the Tribunal expects more of a country expert than knowledge alone: independence, a transparent method, and a report that stays within the expert's own expertise.

This course takes a specialist with genuine knowledge of Kuwait — an academic, researcher, lawyer qualified in Kuwait, former official, journalist or interpreter — from no expert witness experience to a clear understanding of what UK courts and tribunals require of an expert: the overriding duty to the court, the procedural rules in each jurisdiction, how to source and structure a Kuwait report that withstands scrutiny, and how to answer questions and give evidence. Every module is taught through Kuwait examples: nationality and Bidoon cases, Kuwaiti documents, Arabic-language sources and Kuwaiti court records.

The course ends with an assessment: a multiple-choice paper on the expert's duties and procedure at the end of the day, and a short written exercise completed within 14 days. Participants who pass receive a Certificate of Completion with a unique number that anyone — an instructing solicitor, a court or a regulator — can verify on this site. Groups are limited to 16, so that every participant takes part in the exercises.

The course teaches the duties and craft of expert evidence. It does not qualify anyone as an expert in a particular case — that is always for the court or tribunal — and it is not legal advice.

Course structure

Module 1 The Expert's Overriding Duty Why the duty to the court overrides any duty to the party paying; independence and impartiality; the Ikarian Reefer principles; what makes evidence expert evidence (Kennedy v Cordia [2016] UKSC 6); and why experts can be sued (Jones v Kaney [2011] UKSC 13).
Module 2 The Rules in Each Jurisdiction Civil (CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35), family (FPR Part 25), criminal (Criminal Procedure Rules Part 19) and immigration and asylum appeals: permission, single joint experts and the expert's declaration.
Module 3 What Makes a Kuwait Country Expert Defining your expertise and its limits; how the Upper Tribunal weighs a country expert's evidence (AAW (expert evidence – weight) Somalia [2015] UKUT 673 (IAC)); working alongside country guidance and the Home Office's country information.
Module 4 Sources and Method for Kuwait Primary Kuwaiti sources (the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm, legislation, court judgments, ministerial decisions); Arabic-language material and translation; open-source research; verifying documents (Tanveer Ahmed [2002] UKIAT 00439); citing and archiving so every statement can be checked.
Module 5 Instructions, Report Structure and the Statement of Truth Reading a letter of instruction, asking for clarification, structuring the report, stating the range of opinion, conflicts of interest, and signing the declaration and statement of truth.
Module 6 Questions, Experts' Meetings and Giving Evidence Answering written questions, experts' discussions and joint statements, giving evidence in person or by video, and the line between permitted familiarisation and prohibited witness coaching (R v Momodou [2005] EWCA Crim 177).
Module 7 Building a Professional Practice Terms and fees, and why a fee must never depend on the evidence given or the outcome; insurance; confidentiality and data protection for case files; record-keeping; and listing on the Kuwait Register.
Module 8 Assessment A multiple-choice paper on the expert's duties and procedure at the end of the day, and a written exercise completed within 14 days of the course.

Learning outcomes

By the end, participants will be able to:

Explain the expert's overriding duty to the court and apply it to real instruction scenarios
Identify the rules that govern expert evidence in civil, family, criminal and immigration and asylum proceedings
Define the scope and limits of your own Kuwait expertise, and state them in a report
Build a sourced, transparent methodology from Kuwaiti primary sources and Arabic-language material
Structure a compliant report, including the declaration and statement of truth
Answer written questions and prepare to give oral evidence without becoming an advocate

Who should attend

Academics and researchers specialising in Kuwait or the Gulf
Lawyers qualified in Kuwait, and former Kuwaiti officials, who want to act as experts in the UK
Legal interpreters and translators with Kuwaiti Arabic expertise
Journalists and NGO researchers who document Kuwait
Kuwait Register members new to expert witness work

Prerequisites

Substantial knowledge of Kuwait in at least one field — law, nationality, society, politics, the economy or language. No previous expert witness experience is needed.

Subject areas

Nationality & StatelessnessAsylum & ProtectionExpert Witness Practice