Expert Witness Conference

Professor Leam A. Craig

Professor Leam A. Craig, is a Consultant Forensic and Clinical Psychologist and Partner at Forensic Psychology Practice Ltd.  He is a Professor, Visiting Chair of the School of Psychology at the University of Lincoln, UK, a Visiting Professor of Forensic Clinical Psychology at Birmingham City University, UK, and an Hon. Professor of Forensic Psychology at the Centre for Applied Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK.  He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Full Member of the Academy of Experts and Expert Witness Institute.  He has previously worked in forensic psychiatric secure services, learning disability hospitals and consultancy to prison and probation services throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, specialising in high‐risk, complex cases.  He has over 130 research publications including 14 books.  He has over 25 years' experience working as an expert witness having produced well over 1200+ psychology reports and given evidence in 250+ occasions heard before Magistrates, Crown and Family Courts, Court of Appeal, Military Courts Martial, Mental Health Review Tribunals, and Parole Boards.  He has previously received instruction from the Salvation Army, Catholic and Church of England Dioceses, South African Police Service, the UK Government Legal Department (GLD), the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) and the United States Air Force European Area Defence Counsel.  In 2023 he was appointed to a project working with the Family Protection and Juvenile Department, The Public Security Directorate, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in providing training to police services investigating sexual and gender-based violence.  In 2016 he was appointed as Chair of the British Psychological Society, Expert Witness Advisory Group.  He has chaired and contributed to six practice guidance documents for expert witnesses published by the British Psychological Society.

HHJ Stephen Wildblood KC

HHJ Stephen Wildblood KC, was called to the bar at the age of 21, having graduated in law at Sheffield University.  He practised in Family Law for 27 years from Albion Chambers in Bristol, the last 8 ½ years being as King's Counsel. He wrote his first legal textbook at the age of 34 and has contributed to over 20 legal textbooks since. He began sitting as a part-time judge at the age of 37 and was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2004. In 2009 he became a Circuit Judge and, for the first seven years after his appointment, he sat in Devon and Cornwall, hearing Family, Criminal and Civil cases. In 2013 he was appointed as the Designated Family Judge for the five counties in and around Bristol; that appointment has meant that he has sat only in Family cases since then.  Stephen has announced that, in November 2023, he will be retiring from the judiciary and, thereafter, he and Dr Freda Gardner will be working together, offering non-court-based dispute resolution for people who might otherwise find themselves involved in litigation in the Family Court. Stephen believes firmly that all types of Family litigation should be a last resort and that people, and organisations such as Local Authorities, should be assisted to find solutions through mediation and, if mediation does not resolve matters, arbitration. Stephen is keen to continue writing and directing plays and to publish novels that he has written that relate to Family Law issues.

Dr Freda Gardner

Dr Freda Gardner, qualified as a clinical psychologist from The University of Edinburgh in 1989. She worked as a research associate at the University of Cambridge in 1990 and was appointed as a clinical psychologist at United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust in 1991.  In 1993 she completed a Ph.D at The University of Bristol and in 1994 she was appointed Senior Lecturer and Consultant Clinical Psychologist, University of Bristol and United Bristol Healthcare NHS.  In 2000 she developed an independent mental health service for parents and children and provided assessments for the courts in respect of childcare, attachment, assessment of the impact of psychological functioning on parenting and risk assessment.  She opened Orchard House Family Assessment and Intervention Centre in 2005 and provided clinical intervention and assessment for children, adults and families.  She has been a member of the national working party developing good practice guidelines for the assessment and clinical management of adults and children in cases of suspected fabricated or induced illness (FII).  The working party published guidelines in November 2019 which were then revised in March 2020, and she is developing strategies for the management and treatment of parents with complex difficulties including FII.  She is a member of Ofsted's National Consultative Forum for Social Care and contributes to the training of Ofsted inspectors for family assessment centres and residential accommodation for children.  Her intention is to develop a mediation service with HHJ Wildblood KC in November 2023 to provide mediation and intervention for families within disputes.

Professor Gus Baker

Professor Gus Baker, is Professor [Emeritus] of Clinical Neuropsychology, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, Director of Tribune Psychology Services and Secretary General of the International Bureau for Epilepsy. He has over 30-years' experience in Clinical Neuropsychology spent equally between Clinical Research and Clinical Practice at the University of Liverpool and The Walton Centre of Neurology and Neurosurgery.  He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society [BPS] and recipient of BPS Lifetime Award, Lord Hastings Award and the Barbara Wilson Award for outstanding contributions to Clinical Neuropsychology.  He has authored over 300 books, chapters and papers on relevant subjects.  He has presented papers and workshops in 55 countries.  He has spent more than 25 years providing expert neuropsychological reports for the Court.  He is a recognised expert witness with APIL [Association of Personal Injury Lawyers], Expert Witness Institute and the BPS and serves on the Expert Witness Advisory Group.  He was formerly Chair of the Professional Standards Unit for the BPS Division of Neuropsychology.  He is author of the BPS Guidelines for performance validity testing / effort testing in Clinical Practice.

Joanne Lackenby, Parole Board Panel Chair

Joanne Lackenby is a BPS chartered and HCPC registered forensic psychologist, who has worked in practice settings for almost 30 years. Joanne has previously worked in prison, secure hospital and community forensic settings. Joanne also worked academia for 10 years alongside clinical practice, taking part in large scale research projects regarding the use of Expert Witnesses in Family Court Settings and Parole Board Decision Making. Joanne has been a Parole Board Member since 2010 and trained to chair oral hearings in 2018. Joanne takes part in all aspects of Parole work including Member Case Assessment, Single and Multi-Panel oral hearings.  Joanne also maintains a small independent practice providing expert witness reports predominantly for Immigration Tribunals.

Professor Derek Perkins

Professor Derek Perkins, is a Chartered and Registered Clinical and Forensic Psychologist at Broadmoor Hospital, part of West London NHS Trust.  He is Visiting Professor of Forensic Psychology in the School of Law and Social Sciences at Royal Holloway University of London, Co-director of the onlinePROTECT research group on internet-related sexual offending and a Trustee of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.  He has set up and evaluated treatment services in prison, mental health and community settings for people who have committed sexual offences. He has published papers and book chapters on forensic psychology, sexual offending, sexual homicide, online sexual offending and forensic mental health and is currently conducting research with colleagues in the areas of sexual homicide and online child sexual abuse.

Dr. Harry Wood

Dr. Harry Wood, is a Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and Practitioner in Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT).  Having qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2002, he worked for the NHS in low, medium, and high secure hospital services. His experience included two years in a high secure Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) service and seven years at the Yorkshire Centre for Forensic Psychiatry. After two years as Lead Psychologist in an independent hospital, he launched his own company, Grange Psychological Services. He has worked on a full-time basis in independent practice since 2015. While the primary focus of his work is in providing expert witness reports to the courts (criminal, family and civil) he also provides psychological therapy (CAT) and has regular involvement in teaching, supervision, and mentoring. He is a member of the Expert Witness Institute and of the Grange group of medicolegal experts.

Dr. Brendan O'Mahony

Dr. Brendan O'Mahony is a registered Forensic Psychologist practising in England & Wales. He is a Specialist Member of the Parole Board.  He writes expert witness reports for the criminal courts.  He has been practising as a Ministry of Justice Registered Intermediary (communication specialist) since 2007.  He has published a number of academic journal papers and book chapters about effective communication with vulnerable witnesses, police suspects, and defendants in the criminal justice system.  His most recent research collaboration has examined the role of intermediaries in the parole process.  In 2022 he was invited to collaborate on the development and delivery of a Masterclass for the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG) annual conference at the University of Winchester - Supporting Vulnerable Individuals to Give Best Evidence.  He has also collaborated with the Prison Reform Trust in London (and international partners) to develop and deliver training to the police service and to corrections staff in Lusaka, Zambia, about effective communication with persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.  He is currently delivering training to Members of the Parole Board about effective communication with prisoners who have communication support needs.