Legal technicality

Engineers looking to expand their legal expertise can gain a new qualification by taking part in a tailored course offered by the

(IMechE).

'An Engineer in Court' is a series of seminars and courses provided by IMechE and Bond Solon, a UK legal training consultancy for non-lawyers. The aim is to provide engineers in all industries with key advice about their roles and duties in relation to the law.

'The idea came about two years ago when several of our people felt that their professional development did not include legal responsibilities,' said John Ling, head of transport at IMechE.

'There have been various court cases where our people were quite vulnerable because they had not kept accurate records of what had happened in their business.'

The programme comprises four two-day modules of case studies and role-play covering legal evidence procedure and best practice, advanced statement report writing and giving evidence, advanced investigative interviewing and alternative dispute resolution. In particular, the course emphasises the need for accurate record keeping and establishing a sound factual basis for decisions.