Recognition of our experts
“I prefer Professor Matras’s reports to those of Sprakab because in my judgment he is better qualified, and his reports are detailed and referenced.”
(Maxine Myers, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, January 2015)
“I have little hesitation in preferring the report of the experienced Professor Matras … It follows therefore that as a result I have little hesitation in adopting the conclusions made by Professor Matras.”
(R. Lloyd-Smith, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, June 2015)
“The appellant’s report relies upon an author [Professor Matras] with far more significant credentials … [it] also considers wider variables to arrive at its conclusions. … For these reasons I find that the appellant’s report is the more reliable.”
(Judge Fox, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, August 2016)
“I find that the appellant’s report is the more compelling. The methodology is clearly stated … Professor Matras provides not only an explanation for his own conclusion, but also a credible analysis of the Verified material that would support an alternative conclusion.”
(Judge Rayner, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, February 2017)
“The expert [Professor Matras] has impressive credentials … I find his report to be admirably concise, informative and well-expressed, and I give it considerable weight. … I am quite satisfied that the report is one which can be relied upon.”
(Rebecca Caswell, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, March 2017)
“I attach greater weight to Professor Matras’s report over and above that of the Sprakab team. Professor Matras is a leading academic who specialises in linguistics at a highly regarded UK university. He has carefully analysed the findings of the Sprakab report and explained why he rejects them.”
(N. Bircher, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, December 2017)
“I note that Professor Matras’ Summary Curriculum Vitae shows him to have experience and qualifications that make him eminently suited to provide expert evidence in this appeal … Having carefully considered what is said in all three Verified documents against the evidence of Professor Matras, I prefer the evidence of Professor Matras … I also accept that the reliability of Professor Matras’ evidence is strengthened by a database of recordings of Arabic speakers maintained by Manchester University.”
(Judge Cruthers, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, 31 January 2018)
“Professor Matras has been Professor of Linguistics at Manchester University since 2003 and specialises in Kurdish languages. Professor Matras has been accepted by an expert linguist by the Tribunal on several previous occasions and is responsible for the Manchester Kurdish Dialects Database, a source of information relied upon by other experts in linguistics. I am satisfied that Professor Matras is eminent in his field and I attach significant weight to his opinions … It would be an understatement to say that Professor Matras’s report fatally undermines the VERIFIED report relied upon by the Respondent ….”
(Judge Foudy, Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, 2 August 2018)