Evidence of expert witness

I was a witness in a construction case. The opposing party brought an expert witness who acted in two roles: structural engineer for the project and project consultant. The Court admitted this evidence. Nonetheless, the dual roles played by the expert witness seem questionable in terms of the impartiality of his opinion. I cannot stop asking myself whether he could give an impartial expert opinion on the roles he had to play in the project. Please guide me.
GO, Dar es Salaam

Thank you for this question. The evidence of an expert witness or, in other words, an expert opinion is admissible under section 47 of the Evidence Act Cap. 6 [R.E 2022]. It is the Courts’ position that expert witness evidence needs to inspire confidence in the parties and the public. Accordingly, the parties and Court must arrange to procure an independent witness in cases requiring an expert opinion. Confidence in the expert witness evidence is needed to ensure the other party is not prejudiced by their bias or conflict of interest in the case. In that regard, it was important for the trial Court to ensure that the evidence given by an expert witness was impartial. If what you are saying is true about the case you were called to witness, then the expert’s impartiality was questionable, as we have hinted above. However we don’t have exact details of the case and your lawyer can guide you for a firmer opinion.