​High Court names discredited psychologist in child care case, rejecting anonymity plea from expert witness | UK | Law Gazette

TThe High Court has refused to grant anonymity to an expert witness who produced a discredited report.

Registered clinical psychologist Dr Parsi di Landrone requested that she should not be named in a judgment regarding a care order involving a seven-year-old child.

All parties in Liverpool City Council v Ms A & Ors had unanimously agreed that the doctor’s report was ‘fundamentally flawed’ and could not be relied upon, such that a new psychologist would need to be instructed.

Dr di Landrone told the court she feared the impact on her reputation and capacity to secure future instructions as an expert if she was named in the judgment. But Ms Justice Harris said she was bound by family court practice guidance from last year which provided that anonymisation of professional witnesses is only justified to protect the identities of the child or family. That did not apply in this case, and a speculative concern about harassment or criticism was ‘insufficient’.

Source: ​High Court names discredited psychologist in child care case, rejecting anonymity plea from expert witness | Law Gazette