Training Courses

Expert Witness Certificate - MENA

Name: Expert Witness Certificate - MENA
Location: Expert Witness Certificate - MENA

Tue 08 Apr 2025 - Tue 24 Jun 2025 • 17:00 - 20:00 GST • 26 Hours CPD

From د.إ13000

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Not in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region?

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Overview

When disputes arise in the built environment, and they end up in court or arbitrations, an expert witness is someone who, by virtue of their training and experience, is called to give opinion evidence on matters outside a judge or tribunal’s knowledge.

Gain the expertise needed to excel as an expert witness by understanding the responsibilities of the role with the RICS Expert Witness Certificate programme. Delivered by seasoned professionals in the field, this comprehensive training equips you with the essential skills and knowledge to confidently navigate the complexities of expert witness work.

Ensure you are complying with the official RICS Standards and Guidance that this programme is developed from. This programme is suitable for all professionals working within the built environment who want to gain the theoretical knowledge and practical competencies required to act as an Expert Witness.

A recognised benchmark of quality

Those that are successful in completing the course and assessments, who have expert witness experience and who meet our criteria will be eligible to apply for ‘RICS Accredited Expert Witness’ status. This status is recognised in the market as an important benchmark of quality, which assists expert witnesses in attracting private appointments by solicitors, clients and professional representative firms.

Course format

This is a blending learning programme consisting of three webinars and three online workshops.

Participants will engage in report writing and role-play cross-examination exercises. Course assessments include five multiple-choice tests, expert report writing assessment, cross-examination roleplay, along with an informal interview.

You will have the opportunity to be assigned a mentor who can help develop your knowledge.

Attendance at online sessions is mandatory to successfully complete the course. Please check the below dates and times carefully.

Name	Date and time	Focus
Introduction Webinar	Tue 8 Apr 2025 17:00 - 18:00 GST	Course introduction and overview.
Competency A Workshop	Tue 15 Apr 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Managing the appointment.
Competency B Webinar	Tue 29 Apr 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Managing the post appointment process.
Competency C Workshop Part 1	Tue 13 May 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Constructing a comprehensive expert report.
Competency C Workshop Part 2	Tue 20 May 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Constructing a comprehensive expert report.
Competency D Webinar	Tue 3 Jun 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Discussions between experts.
Competency E Workshop Part 1	Tue 17 Jun 2025 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Delivering effective evidence in court.
Competency E Workshop Part 2	Tue 24 Jun 2025* 17:00 - 20:00 GST	Delivering effective evidence in court * Dependent on delegate numbers, further dates may need to be arranged for the Competency E workshop w/c 23 Jun.

Learning outcomes

Establish your role before you begin work. Understand your duties to the tribunal, including receiving instructions, managing fees and navigating conflicts of interest. Recognise liability in negligence and how to manage a dual role of expert and advocate.
Learn practical steps to take post-appointment. This includes document review, and understanding legal processes such as discovery and disclosure, admissibility and privilege.
Write a comprehensive expert report, adhering to legal requirements and RICS standards. Understand the report structure, amendment procedure, and employ techniques for effective report writing.
Gain proficiency in expert witness meeting procedures, including understanding historical context, court-ordered and party-initiated meetings, preparation methods, adhering to RICS guidance, complying with court directions, drafting joint statements and declarations.
Understand evidence presentation, courtroom dynamics, roles within the court, oath-taking procedures. Recognise the importance of staying within your field of expertise, preparation, professional conduct, concurrent evidence methods.

Meet the trainer

Mark Thomas

Managing Director, Thomas Sands Consulting Ltd

Mark specialises in construction related disputes – he is a practising Arbitrator, Adjudicator and Expert Witness Quantity Surveyor. He's undertaken expert witness appointments for over 30 years, and Expert Witness training for over 25 years. Mark is a past member of the Council of the Academy of Experts and of the Council of the CIArb and used to be Director of the CIArb’s Expert Witness courses. Mark's style of teaching is full-on, and certainly challenging as he packs every lecture with as much practical input as he can. He provides his delegates with hand-on hints and tips that they can use the next day, not just in 5 years’ time.

Download the course guide

RICS Expert Witness Certificate - Course Guide (PDF 2.39MB)

Published date: 22 April 2024

file_download

See what previous attendees say

“The RICS Expert Witness course provides in-depth teaching on the role of an Expert Witness on both the theoretical and practical basis. The course is taught in an interactive manner by experienced , knowledgeable and engaging professionals. In particular I thoroughly enjoyed the practical exercises on the course, i.e. the report writing and the cross-examination, these brought a practical element into the training. I take great knowledge and confidence from the course and planned to implement this within my future career. Finally, I could not recommend this course highly enough and would like to thank the RICS and the lecturers for the organisation and teaching.”

Adrian Burke

Director, CCi

“I found the scheduling, format, and structure of the online sessions to be very convenient, as they allowed me to balance my other work and personal commitments. The online platform was user-friendly and easy to navigate, which made the learning experience enjoyable. Additionally, the lecturers were highly skilled practitioners and their delivery was clear and easy to understand, making the material engaging and informative.”

Derek Lowth

Director, Boyne Consult

For your business

Interested in this course for your employees? Request a callback from our dedicated training support team by emailing training@rics.org or calling +44 (0) 2476868584

Current cohort

RICS Member (Full Course) - Tuesday 8th April 2025

AED د.إ13000

Non-members (Full Course) - Tuesday 8th April 2025

AED د.إ14000

Notify me about upcoming courses

Starting September 2025

Group discounts

Book three or more places and get 10% off

Only one discount available per booking. This cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer from RICS. Please note the group booking discount will not be applicable with the Early Bird rate (if any).

To benefit from the group discounts, please email drseducation@rics.org

Frequently asked questions

We recommend all delegates have a basic understanding of English and English reading. There are large parts of the course which involve pre-reading and background reading. You will also be expected to take part in discussions during workshops and write an expert report which you will then be cross-examined on in a role-play type scenario.

Yes, our course is conducted entirely online, allowing participants from anywhere in the world to enrol. However, it's important to note that while the content is accessible globally, it is specifically tailored to address legal systems and intricacies prevalent in the Middle East region. Additionally, as attendance is mandatory, please consider the time zone variance and ensure your availability aligns with the course schedule.

Once you've obtained experience as an Expert Witness, you can apply for accreditation. For this you'll need to attend a panel interview.

If you'd like to discuss exemptions, please contact us directly at drseducation@rics.org and we'll be able to advise you.

Yes. The course cannot be take out of order as each competency builds upon the knowledge from the previous.

If you can't make the dates you booked originally, you'll be deferred to a later course.

Yes. We have an online forum on our Online Learning Academy (OLA) where you can communicate with fellow delegates and our training team.

Pre-reading materials are provided but if you wish to be accredited you'll need to undergo our application and interview process for an additional fee.

From د.إ13000

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