Akademik

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At a trial, convening a panel of expert witnesses who can discuss issues together as well as be questioned by defense and prosecution lawyers. Also: hot tubbing.

As the commission was turned over to a panel of planning experts to discuss key issues — a process known as "hot tubbing" — security specialist Athol Yates said that after disaster there was invariably a knee-jerk response of "we will rebuild" when it might be better to retreat from previous inappropriate development.

—Stuart Rintoul, " Ban development in fire-prone areas, experts tell royal commission: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/ban-development-in-fire-prone-areas-experts-tell-royal-commission/story-e6frg6nf-1225830521084," The Australian, February 15, 2010

It is only a matter of time, lawyers say, before a Canadian courtroom plays host to a procedure known as "hot-tubbing." Despite the name, it does not involve installing Jacuzzis to relax witnesses.

"Hot-tubbing," common practice in Australian courts, is also known by the less colourful label "concurrent evidence." It means that expert witnesses in a complex, technical trial — such as a patent dispute about pharmaceuticals, for example — can testify in court together on a panel, rather than one-by-one in the witness box.

—Jeff Gray, " Why judges like 'hot-tubbing': http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/the-law-page/why-judges-like-hot-tubbing/article1991694/," The Globe and Mail, April 19, 2011

Another innovation is called hot-tubbing, in which experts are sworn as a panel so they are able to discuss issues as well as being questioned in the court.

—Wendy Bacon, " A matter of opinion: http://www.acij.uts.edu.au/archives/profprac/Amatterofopinion.pdf" (PDF), Sydney Morning Herald, July 6, 2000