An expert does not draft his/her report in a vacuum. Communication with counsel is required. Ultimately, an expert must provide independent and objective evidence at a hearing. So the question arises as to what amount of communication is appropriate between counsel and the expert during the drafting stage. This was an issue considered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Moore v. Getahun  (2014 ONSC 237).

In Moore, the plaintiff suffered a wrist injury in a motorcycle accident, and claimed medical negligence against the treating doctor. The defendants called an expert to testify on the medical treatment of the plaintiff following the accident. During the preparation of the expert's report, the expert and defence counsel had a 90-minute conference call during which the draft report was discussed.

In 2010, sections 4.1 and 53.03 of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to (among other things) codify the expert's duty to the court and to require the execution and filing of an expert's certificate acknowledging this duty.

These amendments are similar to the recent amendments to the Tax Court of Canada Rules (General Procedure): Section 145 ("Expert Witnesses"), Form 145(2) ("Certificate Concerning Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses") and Schedule III ("Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses").

In Moore, the court considered the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure amendments and concluded:

Whether it is appropriate for counsel to review experts' draft reports

[519]      Defence counsel reviewed Dr. Taylor's draft report during a one-and-a-half-hour telephone conference call.

[520]      The purpose of Rule 53.03 of the Rules of Civil Procedure is to ensure the independence and integrity of the expert witness. The expert's primary duty is to the court. In light of this change in the role of the expert witness under the new rule, I conclude that counsel's practice of reviewing draft reports should stop. There should be full disclosure in writing of any changes to an expert's final report as a result of counsel's corrections, suggestions, or clarifications, to ensure transparency in the process and to ensure that the expert witness is neutral.

(See also the court's discussion of this issue at paragraphs 47-52 of the Moore decision.)

Not surprisingly, the Ontario court's narrow interpretation of Rule 53.03 attracted the attention of litigators across the country.

In response, the Advocates' Society has drafted a position paper (and a set of nine principles) regarding communications with expert witnesses. The Advocates' Society has taken the position that the view expressed by the court in Moore (i.e., that the amendments constitute a change in the role of expert witnesses) is mistaken. The case law prior to Moore on the subject of experts' testimony had established that experts must testify independently and objectively. Further, the amendments were likely responding to the specific problem of "hired guns" or "opinions for sale", and thus codified the expert's duty and imposed the certificate requirement so that testifying experts clearly understand their duty to the court.

The report also notes the problems and unintended consequences of the court's ruling in Moore – namely, that the ruling fails to recognize the "important and entirely appropriate role" of advocates in ensuring that expert evidence is presented in a cogent, succinct and well-organized fashion that will assist the trier of fact; further, a "one-size-fits-all" approach to communications with experts is discordant with the realities of modern litigation.

Given the similar language in the Tax Court's rules regarding expert evidence, Moore could have an impact on the manner in which expert reports are to be prepared for a Tax Court proceeding.

Moore has been appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal.

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