Expert reports in plea hearings

This seminar will examine the importance of accurate and thorough expert reports relating to the mental functioning of offenders. A Practice Note ( SC CR 7) on expert reports was issued by the Supreme Court on 30 March 2017. It has applied to all plea hearings conducted in the Supreme Court and the County Court from 1 July 2017. The importance of compliance with the Practice Note was re-enforced by the Court of Appeal in the recent case of Muaremov v The Queen [2018] VSCA 298. 

Is the Practice Note being complied with? Has the quality of the expert reports been enhanced? Is the sentencing judge getting all the assistance necessary? What further improvements can be made? These are some of the questions that will be considered during the seminar.