October 5, 2016
Right or wrong, how often does one hear talk about systems being biased? Especially the justice system. From juries to witnesses, one can’t escape the apprehension. To help remedy the situation, or at least better level the playing field, comes a concept from Down Under: hot tubbing. As Anjelica Cappellino, an author at the Expert Institute explains, hot tubbing “is a procedure whereby the experts [witnesses] of both parties convene with the judge and discuss the case together under oath in an attempt to reach an agreement. Ostensibly, hot-tubbing is meant to be less formalized and adversarial, with the ultimate goal being compromise between the parties.” While still in its infancy in the U.S., the idea is gaining traction — however, a big question remains as to whether it will work within the parameters of our adversarial system.