Method & independence

Method & independence

An expert's value is his independence. My overriding duty in any instruction is to the court or tribunal, not to the party instructing me.

Duty to the court

I accept instructions on the basis set out in the applicable rules for expert evidence — including CPR Part 35 and its Practice Direction in England and Wales, and the equivalent standards for admissibility in other common-law jurisdictions. My opinions are my own, and I state where the evidence does not support the conclusion a party would prefer.

First-hand verification

My conclusions are derived from first-hand tracing of the relevant transactions and verification of historical balances against the public ledger. I do not rely on off-chain exchange records, internal file notes or screenshots alone; where those are the only available source, I say so and treat the conclusion accordingly.

Stated assumptions and limits

Every opinion is given with its assumptions and its confidence made explicit. Attribution of an address to a party is presented as a reasoned inference with its likelihood stated, not as certainty. Where a trace is broken or weakened — by a privacy protocol, a mixing technique or off-chain settlement — I identify the limit rather than paper over it.

Conflicts

Before accepting any instruction I run a conflict check against the parties and the matters involved. If a conflict exists, I decline.

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Nothing on this site is legal advice, and no instruction is accepted until a conflict check is complete.