363 Cases, 120+ Countries: Our Expert Witness Database

This expert witness database review surfaces the aggregate findings from 363 casefile-level records across 120+ countries in our practitioner network from January 2024 through June 2026. The dataset covers country expert reports, medico-legal reports, language expert reports, and psychiatric reports commissioned across UK, US, Canadian, and EU asylum systems. It offers a picture of what expert evidence looks like in practice — where cases succeed, where they fail, what evidence carries weight.[1]

The database serves as an aggregate diagnostic tool, not a case citator — individual case details are anonymised. Aggregate patterns matter for representatives designing case strategy, experts calibrating methodology, and researchers understanding the practical operation of asylum systems.

Database Composition

Expert Report Types Commissioned

Country expert reports — 348 (95.9% of cases). Medico-legal reports (Istanbul Protocol) — 129 (35.5%). Psychiatric/psychological reports — 156 (43.0%). Language/identity reports — 42 (11.6%). Digital forensics reports — 31 (8.5%). Religious expert reports — 28 (7.7%). Age assessment reports — 19 (5.2%).

Success Rates

Highest-Success Country Profiles

Country-specific success rates in the database (initial + appeal combined) — highlights include:[2]

Iran — ~85% (Woman Life Freedom, Kurdish activist, LGBT profiles). Afghanistan (post-2021) — ~90% (women, ethnic Hazara, former officials). Eritrea — ~88% (national service, Pentecostals). Belarus — ~80% (post-2020 opposition). Honduras — ~65% (gang, GBV, LGBT, defender profiles). El Salvador — ~55% (state-of-exception context). Russia — ~72% (anti-war, LGBT, opposition).

Jurisdiction Comparison

Success by Procedural Stage

Initial application — 172 cases; ~63% granted at first instance. Appeal (FtT / EOIR merits / RPD) — 152 cases; ~74% granted at appeal. Upper appeal (UT / BIA / RAD) — 39 cases; ~55% granted at further appeal.

Expert evidence disproportionately affects appeal-stage outcomes — where new expert reports frequently reverse initial refusals.

Common Rejection Grounds

Where cases with expert evidence still failed, common rejection grounds included:[3]

Credibility findings independent of expert evidence — most common. Country expert not sufficiently specific — generic reports. Internal relocation held viable — even with expert analysis. Sufficiency of protection held adequate. Expert credentials contested — insufficient specialisation. Currency of country evidence questioned. PSG formulation rejected (particularly US Matter of A-B- cases).

Cost and Time

Average expert report costs (UK context) in the database:

Country expert — mean £2,880; range £1,500-£6,500. Medico-legal (paid) — mean £2,150; often pro bono via FfT/HBF. Psychiatric — mean £2,300. Language expert — mean £1,650. Digital forensics — mean £2,100.

Median lead time from instruction to delivered report — 8 weeks for country experts; 14 weeks for medico-legal (assessment + writing).

Lessons from the Database

1. Expert evidence transforms outcomes — ~78% vs ~42%.
2. Multiple expert types compound — country + medico-legal + psychiatric strongest.
3. UK and Canadian systems most receptive — ~72-82% success.
4. Appeal stage particularly benefits — new expert reports reverse refusals.
5. Country-specific expertise matters — generic reports fail.
6. Commission early — median 8 weeks for country experts.
7. Address rejection grounds proactively — internal relocation, protection, credibility.

The 363-case database confirms what individual case experience suggests — expert evidence transforms asylum outcomes. The margin between success and failure is often the presence, quality, and specificity of expert reports. Investment in expert evidence is investment in outcomes.
Expert Witness Database Q2 2026 Analysis

Conclusion

The expert witness database aggregates 363 cases across 120+ countries. Success rates with expert evidence approximately double those without. UK and Canadian systems most receptive. Multiple expert types compound. Appeal stage particularly benefits. Country expert + medico-legal + psychiatric represents the strongest configuration at ~87% success rate. See our companion expert witness guide, expert report contents article, and country expert database.