Expert Evidence 2025

Course Chairs
Theresa Iandiorio, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Michael Parrish — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Theresa Iandiorio earned her law degree from the University of Alberta in 2003 and completed her articles at Donaldson Jette in 2004. She was called to the BC bar in 2004 and joined the BC Prosecution Service that same year.

Theresa has worked as a trial prosecutor for the BC Prosecution Service for the past 20 years. She has worked in several different Crown Counsel offices prosecuting all types of criminal offences. Since 2012, Theresa has been a major crime trial prosecutor in the New Westminster Supreme Court office where she prosecutes homicides and other major crime files. She has prosecuted a number of lengthy, complex homicide cases involving many difficult issues, such as "Mr. Big" undercover operations, expert evidence in emerging areas, juror misconduct, and mental disorders. As a trial prosecutor, Theresa has conducted cases involving expert evidence in relation to a number of different areas, including toxicology, forensic psychiatry and psychology, forensic pathology, DNA, fingerprint analysis, collision reconstruction, fire investigations, bloodstain pattern analysis, firearm examinations, and emergency medicine.

Even with her busy practice, Theresa has taken the time to teach as well as mentor lawyers and students. She received the designation of King's Counsel in 2023.

Michael Parrish is a litigator at Fasken Martineau, Vancouver. He has a broad litigation practice focussing on product liability, tort, insurance, professional negligence, and construction litigation. Michael regularly speaks and writes on topics relating to civil litigation.

Faculty
Justice Carla L. Forth — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Sonya Bertrand — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Surrey
Laura L. Bevan — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Darlene Crimeni — McMillan LLP, Vancouver
Martin Finch, KC — Baker Newby LLP, Chilliwack
Lisa J. Helps — Helps Law Corporation, Vancouver
Laura E. Jones — CFM Lawyers LLP, Vancouver
Marc Kazimirski, KC — KazLaw Injury Lawyers, Vancouver
Angela Lee — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, New Westminster 
Esher Madhur — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver 
Rebecca A. McConchie — McConchie Criminal Law, Vancouver
Christopher A. McPherson, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Surrey 
Thor Paulson — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Jill S. Yates — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Mark Wolf — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Your guide to finding, choosing, and using an expert

Expert Evidence in British Columbia Civil Proceedings—6th Edition

This publication is essential for: all litigators who work with expert witnesses

Current to: July 1, 2021

Expert opinion plays a critical role in most civil cases—and litigators should know how to use experts to their full advantage. Expert Evidence in British Columbia Civil Proceedings will help you handle BC's distinctive expert evidence rules. Practical and portable, this guidebook offers analysis of case law and advice on tactics and tools so you can effectively select, brief, lead, and attack expert evidence. With the view from the bench, you can learn what makes a powerful expert opinion presentation in the eyes of a trial judge. Specialized topics also include expert evidence in mediations and before administrative tribunals.

With this resource, you will be able to:

• identify when and how to use expert opinions
  
• analyze how to lay the factual basis for an expert opinion
  
• present your expert evidence so it effectively supports your case
  
• better prepare your expert for the witness stand

Highlights of the Sixth Edition include:

• all chapters, forms and precedents, and other features of the manual have been brought current to July 1, 2021
• significant rewrite of chapter 5 (Briefing the Expert Witness) and chapter 8 (Attacking Expert Evidence)
• new sections covering the following: 
  • amendments to the BC Evidence Act limiting the number of expert reports and disbursements in vehicle personal injury actions
  • challenging the admissibility of some or all of an expert's report in a voir dire
  • the expert's reliance on hearsay in forming their opinion
• new and expanded discussion regarding, among others, the following:
  • seeking production of documents from an expert's file solely for the purpose of objecting to the admissibility of the report
  • co-production of expert work products
  • circumstances where lack of independence may be grounds for excluding an expert report
  • the steps a party may take in challenging an expert for bias
  • the expert's role in cases turning on the resolution of historical facts, Indigenous rights, and title litigation

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:05)

Raymond Lee — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Theresa Iandiorio, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Michael Parrish — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

Expert Evidence Case Law Update (9:05 – 9:50)

Theresa Iandiorio, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Michael Parrish — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (9:50 – 10:00)

Do You Really Need an Expert? (10:00 – 10:40)

Esher Madhur — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver 
Mark Wolf — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver

BREAK (10:40 – 10:50)

Selecting, Retaining, and Instructing an Expert (10:50 – 11:35)

Darlene Crimeni — McMillan LLP, Vancouver
Rebecca A. McConchie — McConchie Criminal Law, Vancouver

BREAK (11:35 – 11:45)

The Boundaries of Expert Evidence: Novel Science, Social Science, and "Junk" Science (11:45 – 12:15)

Lisa J. Helps — Helps Law Corporation, Vancouver
Christopher A. McPherson, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Surrey 

LUNCH (12:15 – 1:00)

Expert Evidence: A View from the Bench (1:00 – 1:30)

Justice Carla L. Forth — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver

BREAK (1:30 – 1:40)

Specialized Expert Reports (1:40 – 2:10)

Sonya Bertrand — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Surrey
Jill S. Yates — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (2:10 – 2:20)

Objecting to Expert Evidence (2:20 – 2:50)

Laura L. Bevan — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Martin Finch, KC — Baker Newby LLP, Chilliwack

BREAK (2:50 – 3:00)

Direct/Cross-examination of Expert Witnesses: "Dr. Wolfe" (with demonstration) (3:00 – 3:30)

Martin Finch, KC — Baker Newby LLP, Chilliwack
Angela Lee — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, New Westminster 
Thor Paulson — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver (as expert witness)

BREAK (3:30 – 3:40)

Direct/Cross-examination of Expert Witnesses: "Dr. Baker" (with demonstration) (3:40 – 4:10)

Laura E. Jones — CFM Lawyers LLP, Vancouver
Marc Kazimirski, KC — KazLaw Injury Lawyers, Vancouver
Thor Paulson — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver (as expert witness)

Closing Remarks (4:10 – 4:15)

Theresa Iandiorio, KC — Crown Counsel, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
Michael Parrish — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver