In order to achieve one of the highest qualifications in the German expert system - the public appointment and swearing-in, besides personal reliability and integrity,
- above-average expertise, accompanied by appropriate professional experience
- impartial and independent action
- non-directive decisions
- objective approach and expert opinion
are required.
The recruitment situation shows: The need for experts is great, the workload of almost all experts is high and overcoming the hurdles on the way to public appointment and swearing-in is a challenge.
Experts in their importance are indispensable in public, judicial and private expert activities.
For an objective view of an object or a situation, at least two perspectives are needed, which is why in the judiciary both parties are always heard. They try to be as objective as possible. In science, too, it is a matter of conscientious examination of the results.
Experts come to a verifiable result based on their expertise and the methods used. This is a great responsibility because the clients do not have their technical expertise. They rely on expert opinion and knowledge. This also explains why personal qualities are explicitly required here. At the same time, it is also about the ethical responsibility of an expert.
Right or wrong is not a question of point of view. Analysis, diagnosis, damage assessment etc. are based on facts. There may be a subjective evaluation component in politics or humanities, but not in scientific methods and their applications.
That means: the public appointment and swearing in obliges to the truth. Taking into account his knowledge and professional experience, an expert commits himself to present independent expert opinions. It is time to realise again what a great asset this is in times of alternative truths and "fake news".
A well-founded education, usually an academic degree, experience and personal maturity are required before the path to public appointment and swearing-in can be taken.
The term "expert" is not legally protected. Anyone who considers himself suitable and qualified can call himself an expert. A guarantee of quality is therefore the public appointment and swearing in. In order to receive the seal of approval of the public appointment, a complex test procedure must be passed.
Similar to an referee in sports, the qualities "impartial" and "independent" are used in the context of expert activities. Freedom from instructions is elementary for the expert opinions of a publicly appointed and sworn (ö.b.u.v. - öffentlich bestellt und vereidigt) expert. A lived professional ethics is required, which includes both morally and technically correct action.
This ensures that third parties to whom a report is submitted can rely on the results. A neutral assessment strengthens the position of a client, as it is based on an independent expert opinion. Last but not least, procedural law also requires the use of publicly appointed and sworn experts as court experts.
If security is required for business, judicial and private decisions, the opinion of a publicly appointed and sworn expert is mandatory.
