Lansdown Associates director John Jackson has been appointed a Member of the Expert Witness Institute (MEWI), as announced in August 2024. The membership recognises John’s work as an expert witness surveyor, providing independent expert evidence to both residential and commercial clients, and reflects the standards we apply to every report we prepare for solicitors and the courts.
The announcement
We are delighted to announce that John has been appointed a Member of the Institute. John provides expert witness services across residential and commercial property matters, from housing disrepair claims to disputes over building condition.
John commented:
“We are proud of the standards that we work hard to maintain and continue the focus of success built on integrity.”
John Jackson’s qualifications
Written in full, with his post-nominal letters, John’s name is John Jackson BSc(Hons) MRICS MCABE C.Build E MRPSA MEWI. In plain English, those letters mean:
- BSc (Hons): John holds a Bachelor of Science honours degree.
- MRICS: Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which means John is a chartered surveyor.
- MCABE: Member of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers.
- C.Build E: Chartered Building Engineer.
- MRPSA: Member of the Residential Property Surveyors Association.
- MEWI: Member of the Expert Witness Institute, the membership announced in this article.
What is the Expert Witness Institute?
The Expert Witness Institute is a UK professional membership body for expert witnesses. Launched in 1996, it is a not-for-profit organisation limited by guarantee and independent of commercial interests. It represents experts from all professional disciplines, together with the lawyers who instruct them.
The EWI’s stated aim is to support the proper administration of justice and the early resolution of disputes through high-quality expert evidence. In practice it:
- Maintains a Code of Professional Conduct that members are expected to follow.
- Offers training in core expert skills, such as report writing, giving evidence and taking part in experts’ discussions.
- Keeps a directory of experts and checks members’ professional credentials.
- Provides guidance and support to experts and to the lawyers who use their services.
Membership levels reflect an expert’s experience and track record, so membership offers solicitors and clients an independent signal that an expert takes the role, and its responsibilities, seriously.
What this means for clients who need an expert witness report
An expert witness is not an advocate for the party paying them. Under the Civil Procedure Rules, an expert’s duty is to help the court on matters within their expertise, and CPR rule 35.3 makes clear that this duty overrides any obligation to the person who instructed or pays them. Expert evidence is also restricted to what is reasonably required to resolve the proceedings, and cannot be relied on without the court’s permission.
For solicitors, landlords and tenants, that means the quality of the expert matters as much as the conclusions. A good expert report is:
- Independent and balanced – it considers the evidence on both sides and explains where opinions differ.
- Compliant – it meets the requirements of CPR Part 35 and the associated practice direction.
- Clear – it explains technical building issues in plain terms that a judge, lawyer or tenant can follow.
- Evidence-based – findings are supported by inspection records, photographs, measurements and testing where appropriate.
John’s EWI membership and chartered qualifications, alongside our RICS regulated status, give clients confidence that our reports are prepared with those standards in mind.
Where we provide expert witness services
Housing disrepair
We prepare housing disrepair survey reports for claims involving landlords’ repairing obligations, including section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the fitness for human habitation requirements introduced by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Reports identify the defects, their likely causes, the works needed to put them right, and their effect on the occupants’ use of the home.
Damp and mould
Damp and mould is one of the most common issues in disrepair cases, and one where the cause is frequently disputed: condensation, rising damp, penetrating damp or a leak. Our damp and mould expert witness service combines a detailed inspection using moisture meters, thermal imaging and environmental readings with a clear expert opinion on cause, responsibility and remedy. With Awaab’s Law now in force for social landlords in England, the need for reliable, independent evidence on damp and mould has never been greater.
Commercial property disputes
For commercial clients, expert evidence may be needed in dilapidations disputes and other disagreements over the condition of a building at the start or end of a lease.
Who we act for
We work with national solicitors, social landlords, corporate landlords, insurance organisations and private clients. We have offices in Liverpool, Manchester and London, with national coverage including London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Northern Ireland. Expert witness instructions are accepted for properties in England and Wales.
Instruct an expert witness surveyor
To discuss an expert witness instruction, call 0151 374 0905 or email office@lansdownassociates.co.uk. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00.
