Psychiatric expert witnesses: proposals for change

Psychiatric experts are now called more frequently than in the past to testify in courtroom proceedings. Often, however, their testimony leads to non-productive "battles of the experts." This Note examines various plans that seek to minimize the conflicts in expert testimony offered by one or both psychiatrists. It concludes that either of two plans would be effective: the first provides for a panel similar to existing medical malpractice tribunals; the second mandates court appointment of an independent expert to testify in addition to those called by adversaries.