Expert Witness Services

Introduction

Dr Belinda Stuart-Moonlight is one of the UK’s foremost food safety and infectious disease experts, providing expert witness services since 2001. She is tenaciously thorough, her growing reputation built on exacting attention to detail. Her numerous successful outcomes are grounded in scientific knowledge and ongoing experience of industry practice through her consultancy, training and auditing work.

Why choose Dr Belinda Stuart-Moonlight as your Expert Witness?

Has worked on landmark and significant cases, including the recent manslaughter trial of R v Kuddus and Rashid following the fatal allergic reaction of Megan Lee to peanut-contaminated curry
Cardiff University CUBS certificate in civil and criminal arenas
Every action instigated as EHO successful in Court
PhD in microbiological risk and its legal context
Daily experience of industry practice through consultancy, auditing and training work
In large outbreak cases, she is fundamentally a breach expert (reviewing systems), complimenting causation evidence of medics and microbiologists
Advisor to ABTA and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) for 10+ years

Click here to read Expert Witness Journal article giving more detail of Belinda’s expert witness work.

Click here to read Expert Witness Journal article ‘The Inexorable Rise of Food Hypersensitivity’

Dr Belinda Stuart-Moonlight frequently wins plaudits in her capacity as an expert witness in both criminal and civil cases:

‘Belinda Stuart-Moonlight is an outstanding expert witness. She recently prepared a detailed and comprehensive report in the first ever health and safety norovirus prosecution. The report was so compelling in its research and conclusions that the local authority abandoned its prosecution. I have called Belinda to give evidence and she is thorough, objective and highly persuasive. I recommend her highly.’

John Cooper QC
Crown Office Chambers, London

‘Dr Belinda Stuart-Moonlight was a pleasure to work with and nothing was too much trouble… Her report was very helpful and instrumental to our negotiations. As a result of her report the client achieved an exceptional outcome. I would highly recommend this expert.’

Laura Hannah
Stephensons LLP

In relation to a ‘very high profile and important case, … she gave her evidence well; she was thoughtful and balanced in the witness box and I’m sure it was her evidence that allowed the Judge to conclude that this was a harm category 2 case, rather than the harm category 1 case that the prosecution was advocating. This, in turn, had a direct impact on the level of fine.’

Mark Owen
Peninsula

Food safety

Areas of work in the food safety arena include:

microbiological, chemical, allergenic and physical contamination risk
Sentencing Guidelines categorising harm (levels 1 to 3)
due diligence defence
HACCP
staff training
pest infestation risk
travel related gastroenteritis
food poisoning incidents and outbreaks
food safety management systems
health risk criteria and statutory notices

An example case that Belinda took on was R – v – Mohammed Khalique Zaman, where the defendant was found guilty of manslaughter and sent to prison for in excess of 6 years for causing death in a peanut allergy sufferer.

Infectious Disease Control

Areas of work in the infectious disease arena include:

Norovirus on cruise ships
Norovirus in other hospitality settings e.g. hotels
other infectious intestinal diseases of protozoal, viral and bacterial origin
food poisoning
contaminated water supplies including with Cryptosporidium
infections caught during employment such as Leptospirosis

An example case that Belinda took on was Mr Eric Swift and 15 Others – v – Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, where Norovirus occurred on subsequent cruises on one ship and time for effective decontamination was wanting. This case went to the Court of Appeal and the original judgement (against the cruise line) was upheld.

Workplace Health and Safety

Areas of work in health and safety include:

suitability of Health and Safety policy
general and specific risk assessment
employer’s and employees’ duties so far as is reasonably practicable
accidents and safe systems of work
safety in kitchens and food factories
health in kitchens and food factories

An example case that Belinda took on was Leicester City Council – v – B & Q plc where, following a fork lift truck crushing accident, the suitability of the workplace transport risk assessment and safe systems of work were found wanting.