Which experts may the court consult, and whose mental state and what cause may it ask them to opine on?
General information · Not legal advice
Material to check
In a practice file of this kind, we read the papers showing who the case concerns, any written request or note by the court seeking an opinion, and the expert's written diagnostic opinion, checking which listed field the expert works in and whose mental or psychological state it addresses.
These are types of material to look for, not evidence already verified by PRO SE.
Where readings differ
One reading is that only the court may seek the opinion, and only from a psychiatrist, psychologist, sociologist, social welfare scholar or other related expert, and only on the mental or psychological state of the perpetrator, the victim or a family member, together with an opinion on the cause of the domestic violence crime.
Another reading notes the provision says the court 'may' consult, so nothing here obliges the court to do so, and it names no party as able to ask for it; the provision also limits what is sought to a diagnostic opinion and a cause opinion, not any other kind of expert evidence.
Your judgment
Where an expert's field is not one the provision names, what in the file would show that this expert is a 'related expert' in the provision's sense?
PRO SE does not make this decision or keep a case record on this public site.When to reconsider
We look at this again if the provision is amended to name further expert fields, or if a court decision sets what makes an expert a 'related expert' under this provision.