Expertise in Food Safety, Health & Safety and Infectious Diseases

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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 manslaughter trials of R v Zaman, R v Kuddus and Rashid (allergen fatalities), and the Railway Tavern fatal Clostridium perfringens outbreak
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), complementing causation evidence of medics and microbiologists
Advisor to ABTA and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) for 10+ years, Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland

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:

‘I thought she was extremely good. Measured, quietly authoritative and clear. She also gave ground and made concessions where necessary, but added the proper context and made her points very effectively. The summing-up was a resounding testament to the very good impression she made on the Court.’

Jonathan Laidlaw QC, 2 Hare Court

‘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

In relation to a Crown Court jury trial, ‘Her performance was excellent.’

Adam Payter, Barrister, 6KBW

‘in all respects an excellent, reliable and professional witness on whose evidence we concluded that we could safely rely...’

His Honour Judge John Samuels, Knightsbridge Crown Court

‘I am a partner at Addleshaw Goddard LLP and previously at Eversheds Sutherland LLP but I am writing in my personal capacity and not on behalf of either firm.

[Belinda Stuart-Moonlight] ... attention to detail, logic and structure infuses her reports, which are utterly thorough yet accessible for instructing solicitors, counsel and clients alike. She is not afraid to challenge and ask difficult questions in order to test her understanding and the client's position and ability to support propositions with evidence. Equally she can effectively dismantle weak prosecution cases that appear prima facie strong. She does however remain objective and is clearly very mindful of her duty to the Court in cases in which she appears.’

David Young

‘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

‘They are probably one of the best Part 35 responses I have ever read … the answers were clear and were incredibly neutral (I've had some Part 35 experts appear defensive in their responses). Thank you for all your help. As always, it is an impeccable service.’

Alec Hancock, MJW Law Ltd

Food Safety

Areas of work in the food safety arena include:

microbiological, chemical, allergenic and physical contamination risk
Sentencing Guidelines categorising culpability and harm
due diligence defence
HACCP
staff training
pest infestation risk from pest activity and infestation
travel related gastroenteritis
food poisoning/foodborne disease 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 and foodborne disease
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 was a civil claim for Leptospirosis acquired, on a balance of probability, from work involving waste-water transfer.