Professor Imwinkelried Speaks at International Seminar on Attorney-Client Privilege

Professor Emeritus Ed Imwinkelried is a member of the Northumbria Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies in Newcastle, England.

On July 19, the center hosted an international seminar on legal professional (attorney-client) privilege.  Imwinkelried spoke on the first panel devoted to the rationale for privilege.  The traditional instrumental rationale assumes that the average layperson is so concerned about subsequent, legally compelled disclosure of his or her revelations that they will not consult attorneys without the assurance of an absolute evidentiary privilege.

Imwinkelried reviewed the empirical studies calling that assumption into question.  He argued that the instrumental rationale is too weak to warrant the current breadth and absolute character of the privilege.  Later this month the centre will make a video of the seminar available to Evidence scholars throughout the world. Watch a video of the presentation.

Imwinkelried is a world-renowned evidence expert who has published extensively in the field.