2023 Expert Witness Symposium

We are in an age where complex criminal investigations are unable to be prosecuted without the assistance of subject matter specialists. Police Officers lead this area as those identified as Drug Experts. The OACP Drug Substance Abuse Committee has identified a need to provide training to support officers who provide expert evidence in the multi-faceted area of Drugs. 

This requires us to identify, mentor, and provide on-going training to Officers who already have been recognized as experts in the courts to provide opinion evidence. Further, there is a strong need for the appropriate succession planning in identifying and establishing new experts. The resources of the established expert pool needs to be shared among all police services across the Province and Canada. Shortages in our collective expert pool have been identified and need to be addressed collectively, as we all require individuals who possess these special skills for a multitude of our serious prosecutions involving those persons trafficking drugs or participating in a criminal organization.