This ruling addresses the admissibility of the plaintiff's expert reports as evidence-in-chief in a complex common issues trial concerning the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak.
The defendant objected to the hybrid trial process, arguing that expert evidence should be presented viva voce rather than through reports.
The court dismissed the defendant's objection, affirming the trial judge's discretion to admit expert reports as direct evidence in non-jury hybrid trials, consistent with prior case management orders.
The decision emphasized that this approach enhances trial efficiency and does not prejudice the opposing party's right to cross-examination.
