What to expect in the courtroom
as a medicolegal expert
LIVE WEBINAR with Dr Helen Schultz
Friday 6 November 2026 at 12.00pm AEDST
REGISTER NOW [$49]
Most psychiatrists write the report and never think about the witness box, until the subpoena arrives. This live one-hour session takes you inside the courtroom so you know what’s coming, how the process runs, and how to hold your opinion steady under cross-examination. It’s a frank, practical look at what happens once a medicolegal report leaves your desk and is tested in court.
REGISTER NOW
Submit your details to register for this webinar
Friday 6 November 2026, 12.00pm to 1.00pm AEDT
Live on Zoom — 40 minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of Q&A
Free for IME Discovery Alumni members
$49 + GST for the public
Most psychiatrists write the report and never think about the witness box, until they’re called to give evidence. This live session takes you inside the courtroom so you know what’s coming, how the process runs, and how to hold your opinion steady under cross-examination.
Session details
Friday 6 November 2026, 12.00pm to 1.00pm AEDT
Live on Zoom — 40 minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of Q&A
What the session covers
How a report moves from your desk into the legal process, and how to prepare without reworking your opinion
What to expect on the day, from who’s in the room to how evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination unfold
The questions that tend to test medicolegal opinions, and how to respond clearly when your reasoning or methodology is challenged
Your obligations under the Expert Witness Code of Conduct, including your paramount duty to assist the court impartially
Practical strategies for staying composed and conceding a point without undermining your overall opinion
Who it’s for
Psychiatrists writing medicolegal reports who haven’t yet given evidence, practitioners who have and want a clearer framework for next time, and anyone considering medicolegal work who wants a realistic picture of where it can lead.
Your Zoom link will be emailed once you register, with a reminder the day before.
IME Discovery Alumni members attend free — use the code in your member portal at checkout.
Price: $49 + GST
What You'll Learn
Understand how a report moves from your desk into the legal process, what the subpoena or request to give evidence actually means, and how to prepare without reworking your opinion. Learn what to expect on the day, from the layout of the courtroom and who’s in the room to how evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination unfold.
Explore the questions that tend to test medicolegal opinions under cross-examination, and how to respond clearly when your reasoning, methodology or the limits of your expertise are challenged. Gain a practical understanding of your obligations under the Expert Witness Code of Conduct, including your paramount duty to assist the court impartially rather than advocate for either party.
Take away practical strategies for staying composed in the witness box, conceding a point where it’s warranted without undermining your overall opinion, and writing future reports with the courtroom in mind.
Who Should Attend
Psychiatrists already writing medicolegal reports who haven’t yet been called to give evidence, practitioners who have been to court and want a clearer framework for next time, and anyone considering medicolegal work who wants a realistic picture of where it can lead.
What Happens Next
You’ll receive your Zoom link by email once registered, with a reminder the day before. The 20 minute Q&A is your chance to raise the questions you’ve been holding onto, so bring them along. Alumni members will find the recording in the IME Discovery Library afterwards, and public registrants will receive the recording by email along with details of the IME Discovery Workshop and Alumni Program, if you’d like to take the next step.