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# The expert report (dictamen pericial): what it must contain

- Procedure

The expert report is the expert's written statement: what was examined, with what method, what was found and what is concluded, with its limits.

Updated Nov 5, 2026

## Key points

- Basis of the expert opinion: a summary report given to the parties at least five days before the hearing (Law 906, art. 415).
- Without the expert's oral testimony, the report is not evidence.
- Content: questions, identification, account, findings, method, conclusions and limits.
- The expert describes and explains; the expert does not give the conduct a legal label.

## What it is

Under Law 906 of 2004, every expert's testimony must be preceded by a summary report that sets out the basis of the opinion requested. That report goes to the other parties at least five days before the hearing at which the expert evidence is taken, and it is not admissible as evidence unless the expert testifies orally at trial. The code sets no single format for a medical report: its requirements follow from what the expert must be able to explain at trial (art. 417) and from what the judge weighs (art. 420). For laboratory reports, art. 210 lists a minimum content. A good report answers each of the authority's questions in clear language and says when a question cannot be answered on a scientific basis.

## What to document

- Law 906, art. 415: the summary report sets out the basis of the opinion and is disclosed to the parties at least five days before the hearing.
- Law 906, art. 406: those who took part sign the report for their part, and the opinion is given under oath.
- Law 906, art. 210 (laboratory report): describes the item examined, the procedures and their scientific acceptance, the instruments and their maintenance, the principles applied and the interpretation of results.
- Law 906, art. 417: the expert will be questioned on training, practical experience, the principles and methods used, and whether the techniques gave orientation, probability or certainty.
- Law 906, art. 422: an opinion based on novel knowledge is admitted if it meets at least one test: the technique is verifiable, published and peer-criticised, of proven reliability, or accepted by the academic community.

## How it is done

- Identify the requesting authority, the case number and the specific questions to be answered.
- Identify the person examined or the item received; if it arrives under chain of custody, record the label and its condition.
- Record the account of events as the person gives it, in quotation marks and separate from the findings.
- Describe findings methodically: type, shape, size, colour and anatomical site of each injury or sign.
- Note the tests, consultations and documents reviewed, such as the medical record, with their dates.
- Explain the method and the principles behind it, and whether it gives orientation, probability or certainty.
- Answer each question in a clear conclusion, without giving an opinion on anyone's criminal guilt.
- State the limits: what could not be examined, what is pending and whether a new examination is needed.
- Sign with name, profession and registration number, under oath, and keep a copy of the report and notes.

## Next step: what to do and document

- Before writing, reread the authority's questions and answer them one by one; if one has no scientific answer, say so and explain why.
- If the examination was done during emergency care, keep the medical record (care) and the expert report (answer to the authority) separate.
- Deliver the report through the official channel of the requesting authority and keep proof of delivery.
- If new information appears later, issue a supplementary report instead of changing the original.
- Official text checked on 2026-11-05 at funcionpublica.gov.co (Law 906 of 2004).

## Common mistakes

- Mixing the person's account with the findings, or presenting what was reported as proven.
- Using vague terms («multiple injuries») instead of describing each injury with its site and size.
- Concluding beyond what was examined, or answering questions nobody asked.
- Labelling the conduct («homicide», «rape») instead of describing medical findings: legal classification belongs to the prosecutor and the judge.
- Keeping no copy: the expert testifies later and needs the notes (art. 417 allows documents to be consulted).

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## How far in advance must the parties receive the report that is the basis of the expert opinion?

At least five days before the hearing at which the expert evidence is taken (Law 906, art. 415).

## What must the expert explain about how certain the techniques are?

Whether the techniques used gave orientation, probability or certainty (Law 906, art. 417, item 6).

## Why must the person's account be kept separate from the findings?

Because the account is what the person says and the findings are what the expert verifies; mixing them weakens the report under cross-examination.

## Which tests allow an expert opinion based on a novel technique to be admitted?

At least one: it is verifiable, it has been published and criticised by the academic community, its reliability is proven, or it is academically accepted (art. 422).

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## Connections

## Related 4

- [The doctor as expert witness (perito) under Law 906 of 2004](https://durgical.com/en/forensic-medicine/the-doctor-as-expert-witness-under-law-906-of-2004/)
- [Testifying as an expert at the oral trial](https://durgical.com/en/forensic-medicine/testifying-as-an-expert-at-the-oral-trial/)
- [Examining a living victim of injury (lesiones personales)](https://durgical.com/en/forensic-medicine/examining-a-living-victim-of-injury/)
- [Chain of custody (cadena de custodia) in the hospital or rural post](https://durgical.com/en/forensic-medicine/chain-of-custody-in-the-hospital-or-rural-post/)

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Educational content on forensic and legal medicine; not legal advice and no substitute for the technical guides of Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. Laws change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, follow the guide in force and ask the competent authority.

Sources: [Ley 906 de 2004, Código de Procedimiento Penal](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=14787) (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2004); [Forensic evaluations in psychiatry (Chadda RK, Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2013;55(4):393-399)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3890920/) (PubMed Central, 2013).

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