Reports, certificates and giving evidence

Because the community trusts psychologists, they should make spoken or written statements only where they know or reasonably believe them to be true and objective. Effective practice means the psychologist: (a) warns clients and other recipients about reasonably foreseeable risks the contents of a report, certificate or evidence may carry for them; (b) once agreed, prepares or signs documents and reports within a reasonable, justifiable time; (c) is honest about their qualifications, experience and the limits of their competence, in person or in writing; (d) states the limits of their knowledge and offers no opinion beyond them when giving evidence; (e) takes reasonable steps to check the content before signing a report or certificate and does not deliberately leave out relevant information; (f) writes reports and certificates honestly, without bias and truthfully, signing only documents they believe accurate; (g) gives honest, unbiased reports and evidence when legally required to provide information; (h) recognises any conflict between legal duties and duties to the client and tries to resolve it, telling the client what the legal duties are and taking reasonable steps to resolve it responsibly; (i) recognises that legal rules govern conduct as a witness and follows them; and (j) recognises how a prior relationship with a client may colour their objectivity or opinions when giving evidence and discloses that potential conflict.

• Report register showing request and completion dates
• Reports stating qualifications, sources relied on and limits of opinion
• Record of the client being told about foreseeable risks of a report and about any legal obligation to disclose
• Disclosure of any prior treating relationship in witness statements or expert reports

• Certificate signed without seeing the client or checking the facts
• Opinion given outside the psychologist's expertise
• Report delayed for months with no explanation
• Treating relationship not disclosed when acting as a witness