Q/A Dr Sohom Das h
Wit
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Expert Witness How did you become an expert witness? I was fortunate enough to undergo forensic psychiatry training, as opposed to general psychiatry. Criminal Court report writing is our bread and butter, and I was encouraged as a Specialist Registrar to take on as many cases as I could. I was also fortunate enough to work for some encouraging consultants, who taught me and critiqued my work thoroughly; this allowed me to absorb the relevant legal knowledge and sharpen my medico-legal skills. From my very first case, I developed a passion for this work and knew it would be my area of expertise. I then attended multiple renowned courses, seminars and conferences, over a couple of years, before branching out into any other medico-legal opportunities I could find; from Civil Court Work, to Family Law to Coroner’s Cases, to Employment tribunals.
What has been your most challenging expert witness types of cases? For Civil cases, it is when there already is a longterm or complex psychiatric history. It takes skill and patience to sift through the medical records and pull out symptoms that existed before the trauma or clinical negligence and differentiate them from symptoms that have surfaced after this event. For Criminal cases, it is when I feel the Defendant is not fully cooperating or is exaggerating or fabricating symptoms (e.g. in the hope that they may be found unfit to plead to subvert the system). Again, it takes skill and patience, but also persistence in questioning to reveal the real truth.
I know that you deal with a range of cases, but can you specify a common case that you tend to deal with on a regular basis? My specific area of interest is high value claims related to trauma; whether it be clinical negligence, personal injury or historical sexual assault. I feel there is an honour in fighting the corner of those that have been wronged and psychiatrically harmed by others. I have developed skills in extracting the relevant symptoms and formulating the right diagnoses.
What is your average turnaround time for a report? I am in a unique position of working for the NHS for 2 days per week (in two Criminal Court Liaison and Diversion schemes). This means I can dedicate a minimum of three days a week for my medico-legal practice, Sigma Delta Psychiatry Expertise. Generally, I am able to turn around reports relatively quickly; usually within a week or two of being instructed. I am also able to turn reports around rapidly if needed. On one occasion, when there was an extremely urgent deadline for a deportation case, I was instructed one evening, and managed to assess the client in an Immigration Centre forty miles away and finish a full medicolegal report the next day.
