There is no rule of evidence in Australia that disqualifies an expert witness from giving testimony by reason of a family or other relationship with the party calling the witness, or by reason of any interest in the outcome of the litigation. The test for apprehended bias applicable to courts and tribunals does not apply to expert witnesses. Interest and perceived bias of an expert witness go only to the weight of the evidence, not to its admissibility or the competence of the witness. Statements about the desirability of expert independence, including Lord Wilberforce's dictum in Whitehouse v Jordan, are admonitions as to best practice, not exclusionary rules.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 39 later cases that cite this judgment.
3 of the 39 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.