Expert Witness Registration Scheme (UK)

RICS EWRS - UK is a voluntary scheme that sets the standards for chartered surveyors who act as expert witnesses in the UK.

The register lists individual RICS members with specialist knowledge and the practical experience to provide impartial, independent evidence for a wide range of specialist fields including:

• Agriculture and farm business
• Arts and antiques
• Boundaries and party walls
• Building surveying 
• Commercial property (rent review, lease renewal etc)
• Construction disputes and claims 
• Dilapidations and housing disrepair
• Environmental surveying
• Landlord and tenant 
• Leasehold enfranchisement 
• Planning and development 
• Professional negligence Property management 
• Rating Valuation

Find an RICS expert witness

Criteria of an RICS expert witness

• Provided references from at least two people (one of which a solicitor or barrister) who have used the surveyor's expert evidence in the last three years
• Provided an expert witness report prepared for judicial/quasi-judicial proceedings within the last five years, which is assessed to demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of key criteria such as:
  knowledge of Civil Procedure Rules, relevant Practice Directions,
  case-law and codes of best practice, including RICS' own mandatory practice statement 'Surveyors acting as expert witnesses'
• Been interviewed (if deemed necessary by the Registration Committee) before becoming an EWRS-registered expert witness
• Applicants must also provide a record of relevant Expert Witness continued professional development (CPD) training for the previous three years. Evidence must comply with RICS rules and guidelines, detailed within the previous link.

Note: RICS does not assess technical knowledge as part of the entry process. The competence of an expert witness is ultimately determined by the client and the relevant judicial body.

You can find full details of the assessment criteria and the scheme in our 'RICS Expert Witness Registration Scheme' brochure.

Join the RICS Expert Witness Register

• View brochure and application form to join the RICS Expert Witness Registration Scheme

For more information

Expert Witness Registration Scheme ( UK )
RICS Membership Operations
Surveyor Court
Coventry CV4 8JE
t +44 (0) 20 7695 1795
f +44 (0) 20 7334 3811
e schemes@rics.org