Kaufman H H
Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
Sci Justice. 2001 Jan-Mar;41(1):7-20. doi: 10.1016/S1355-0306(01)71844-8.
Flawed expert scientific testimony has compromised truth finding in American litigation, including in medical malpractice and in product liability cases. The Federal Rules of Evidence and the Supreme Court in Daubert and other cases have established standards for testimony that include reliability and relevance, and established judges as gatekeepers. However, because of lack of understanding of scientific issues, judges have problems with this role, and juries have difficulties with scientific evidence. Professionals and the judiciary have made some advances, but a better system involving the court's use of neutral experts and a mechanism to hold experts accountable for improprieties is needed.
有缺陷的专家科学证言损害了美国诉讼中的事实认定,包括医疗事故和产品责任案件。《联邦证据规则》以及最高法院在“道伯特案”和其他案件中确立了证言标准,包括可靠性和相关性,并将法官设定为把关人。然而,由于对科学问题缺乏理解,法官在履行这一职责时存在问题,陪审团在理解科学证据方面也有困难。专业人士和司法机构已经取得了一些进展,但仍需要一个更好的系统,包括法院使用中立专家以及建立一种机制,让专家为不当行为负责。