Expert witness
Martin has been instructed to act as an expert witness for more than 30 cases including
- Magistrates and Crown Courts
- County Court
- Asylum Appeal Tribunals
- Employment Tribunals
- The High Court
-The Court of Session (Scotland)
- Professional conduct tribunals, such as the Teaching Regulation Agency
He has also had given oral evidence in court under cross examination in a number of cases.
Martin has been elected as a practising member of The Academy of Experts (MAE).
Involvement in leading cases
Rev Dr William Philip and 26 others v the Lord Advocate (Judicial Review of Scottish government closure of churches) in his judgement in favour of the appellant Lord Braid affirmed and quoted at some length from Martin's expert witness statement.
Case summary
Judgement
Scottish Law Society comment
Mrs Mary Onuoha v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust. Christian nurse disciplined for wearing a small cross. The judgement drew on 10 specific points in Martin's expert witness statement
Case summary
Judgement
The Times comment
Courses undertaken related to related to acting as an expert witness
- Introduction to English Common Law, University of London, September 2020 (3 days fte).
- Into Court, The Academy of Experts, September 2021 (1 day).
- International Law in Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes, University of Leiden, May 2023 (3 days fte).
- Introduction to English Common Law, University of London, September 2020 (3 days fte).
- Into Court, The Academy of Experts, September 2021 (1 day).
- International Law in Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes, University of Leiden, May 2023 (3 days fte).
Other consultancy
- Genocide in the Middle East
- Discrimination against Christian asylum seekers by UNHCR
- Commissioned articles for publication
- Press comment
- Genocide in the Middle East
- Discrimination against Christian asylum seekers by UNHCR
- Commissioned articles for publication
- Press comment
The difference that instructing an expert can make
In common with other expert witnesses I have sometimes found that lawyers are surprised to find that there are potentially important contextual factors affecting a case which they were not aware of. When they receive the expert report are pleasantly surprised at how much it can potentially assist them in presenting their case. Lord Justice Neuberger put the point very well in HK v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2006] EWCA Civ 1037
[28] Further, in many asylum cases, some, even most, of the appellant’s story may seem inherently unlikely but that does not mean that it is untrue. The ingredients of the story, and the story as a whole, have to be considered against the available country evidence and reliable expert evidence, and other familiar factors, such as consistency with what the appellant has said before, and with other factual evidence (where there is any).
[29]. Inherent probability, which may be helpful in many domestic cases, can be a dangerous, even a wholly inappropriate, factor to rely on in some asylum cases. Much of the evidence will be referable to societies with customs and circumstances which are very different from those of which the members of the fact-finding tribunal have any (even second-hand) experience. Indeed, it is likely that the country which an asylum-seeker has left will be suffering from the sort of problems and dislocations with which the overwhelming majority of residents of this country will be wholly unfamiliar…
I am happy to provide a brief free initial assessment of areas I could potentially comment on prior to a formal instruction.
In common with other expert witnesses I have sometimes found that lawyers are surprised to find that there are potentially important contextual factors affecting a case which they were not aware of. When they receive the expert report are pleasantly surprised at how much it can potentially assist them in presenting their case. Lord Justice Neuberger put the point very well in HK v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2006] EWCA Civ 1037
[28] Further, in many asylum cases, some, even most, of the appellant’s story may seem inherently unlikely but that does not mean that it is untrue. The ingredients of the story, and the story as a whole, have to be considered against the available country evidence and reliable expert evidence, and other familiar factors, such as consistency with what the appellant has said before, and with other factual evidence (where there is any).
[29]. Inherent probability, which may be helpful in many domestic cases, can be a dangerous, even a wholly inappropriate, factor to rely on in some asylum cases. Much of the evidence will be referable to societies with customs and circumstances which are very different from those of which the members of the fact-finding tribunal have any (even second-hand) experience. Indeed, it is likely that the country which an asylum-seeker has left will be suffering from the sort of problems and dislocations with which the overwhelming majority of residents of this country will be wholly unfamiliar…
I am happy to provide a brief free initial assessment of areas I could potentially comment on prior to a formal instruction.
Dr Martin Parsons BSc, BA, PGCE, PhD, FRGS, FHEA, MAE
Martin is an academic expert on Christianity, freedom of religion or belief and radical Islam who acts as an independent consultant and expert witness. He is also CEO of the recently established The Lindisfarne Centre for the Study of Christian Persecution. He is the author of two major books as well as having over 100 articles published particularly on historic British values and the challenge of radical Islam. He is a recognised expert on the human right to freedom of religion or belief and has been repeatedly quoted in the national and international press including the Sunday Times, Daily Mail and the Sunday Express. He also had practical experience of contexts of persecution having been an overseas aid worker in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has been elected a practising member of the Academy of Experts (MAE).
Academic Qualifications
Martin has degrees in both Geography and Theology, a PhD in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations which drew on academic disciplines in Christian and Islamic Theology, is a qualified teacher in both secondary and higher education and undertook 9 months of additional studies in Applied Linguistics and Literacy.
Publications
Martin is the author of two major books and has also published more than 100 articles, particularly in the field of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and International Relations. His first book Unveiling God: Contextualizing Christology for Islamic Culture was described by Professor Richard Bauckham FBA, FRSE as "An important book not only for Christians in dialogue with Muslims, but also for all who wrestle with the relationship between belief in the one God and the Christian confession of the deity of Jesus Christ.". His second book Good for Society: Christian Values and Conservative Politics was described by Rev. Dr Jules Gomes as "the definitive book on Conservativism and Christianity" and by Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe as "magnificent, detailed and authoritative".
Expert on Human Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)
Martin has had many years experience both supporting persecuted Christians overseas and undertaking writing and research about the global persecution of Christians. While undertaking aid work in Afghanistan and Pakistan he was involved in helping local Christians including during the Taliban era when Afghan Christians were being severely persecuted. He has also been head of research at the international headquarters of an aid agency supporting Christian victims of persecution around the world. He has been involved in making submissions to Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiries and government consultations on FoRB in both the UK and other countries and has also been an expert witness for FoRB issues in both the UK and other countries, with a particular focus on the global persecution of Christians.
Overseas aid work
Martin has been an overseas aid worker in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. As an aid worker in Afghanistan he and a Norwegian colleague were the first westerners to visit a remote mountainous region approximately a week’s walk from the end of the nearest road, which until then had been just a ‘blank’ area on the map. He subsequently began work on unscrambling the unwritten tribal language and set up an aid project to help the local people.
Education
Martin is a qualified teacher in both secondary and higher education has held senior leadership roles in Education both in the UK and overseas including having been principal of an English Language Institute in Pakistan where he was also a member of the managing council of a Pakistani Christian NGO running a technical college, high school and boarding house and 40+ village primary schools. He was also a member of the Education Committee of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) which effectively functioned as the Afghan national education committee during the time of Taliban rule. After returning to the UK he became an examiner for A level Geography and was part of the senior leadership team establishing a new sixth form college, which significantly improved both A level results and university admissions in a deprived coastal town. He subsequently set up a new course in Research Ethics at Anglia Ruskin University. He was later a faculty member of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life where he was involved in establishing a PhD programme for students from non western countries in association with the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
LinkedIn profile
www.linkedin.com/in/drmartinparsons
Martin is an academic expert on Christianity, freedom of religion or belief and radical Islam who acts as an independent consultant and expert witness. He is also CEO of the recently established The Lindisfarne Centre for the Study of Christian Persecution. He is the author of two major books as well as having over 100 articles published particularly on historic British values and the challenge of radical Islam. He is a recognised expert on the human right to freedom of religion or belief and has been repeatedly quoted in the national and international press including the Sunday Times, Daily Mail and the Sunday Express. He also had practical experience of contexts of persecution having been an overseas aid worker in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has been elected a practising member of the Academy of Experts (MAE).
Academic Qualifications
Martin has degrees in both Geography and Theology, a PhD in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations which drew on academic disciplines in Christian and Islamic Theology, is a qualified teacher in both secondary and higher education and undertook 9 months of additional studies in Applied Linguistics and Literacy.
Publications
Martin is the author of two major books and has also published more than 100 articles, particularly in the field of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and International Relations. His first book Unveiling God: Contextualizing Christology for Islamic Culture was described by Professor Richard Bauckham FBA, FRSE as "An important book not only for Christians in dialogue with Muslims, but also for all who wrestle with the relationship between belief in the one God and the Christian confession of the deity of Jesus Christ.". His second book Good for Society: Christian Values and Conservative Politics was described by Rev. Dr Jules Gomes as "the definitive book on Conservativism and Christianity" and by Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe as "magnificent, detailed and authoritative".
Expert on Human Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB)
Martin has had many years experience both supporting persecuted Christians overseas and undertaking writing and research about the global persecution of Christians. While undertaking aid work in Afghanistan and Pakistan he was involved in helping local Christians including during the Taliban era when Afghan Christians were being severely persecuted. He has also been head of research at the international headquarters of an aid agency supporting Christian victims of persecution around the world. He has been involved in making submissions to Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiries and government consultations on FoRB in both the UK and other countries and has also been an expert witness for FoRB issues in both the UK and other countries, with a particular focus on the global persecution of Christians.
Overseas aid work
Martin has been an overseas aid worker in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. As an aid worker in Afghanistan he and a Norwegian colleague were the first westerners to visit a remote mountainous region approximately a week’s walk from the end of the nearest road, which until then had been just a ‘blank’ area on the map. He subsequently began work on unscrambling the unwritten tribal language and set up an aid project to help the local people.
Education
Martin is a qualified teacher in both secondary and higher education has held senior leadership roles in Education both in the UK and overseas including having been principal of an English Language Institute in Pakistan where he was also a member of the managing council of a Pakistani Christian NGO running a technical college, high school and boarding house and 40+ village primary schools. He was also a member of the Education Committee of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) which effectively functioned as the Afghan national education committee during the time of Taliban rule. After returning to the UK he became an examiner for A level Geography and was part of the senior leadership team establishing a new sixth form college, which significantly improved both A level results and university admissions in a deprived coastal town. He subsequently set up a new course in Research Ethics at Anglia Ruskin University. He was later a faculty member of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life where he was involved in establishing a PhD programme for students from non western countries in association with the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
LinkedIn profile
www.linkedin.com/in/drmartinparsons
