How much weight should expert opinions be assigned to a trial judge's conclusions?

Nova Scotia, Canada


The following excerpt is from North Sydney Associates v. United Dominion Industries Ltd., 2006 NSCA 58 (CanLII):

With respect to the weight attributed to expert opinions, this court is likewise restrained in its ability to interfere with the trial judge’s conclusions. The weight to be assigned to various pieces of evidence, including inferences to be drawn from conflicting expert opinion, is a matter for the trial judge and we ought not interfere unless we are persuaded that the result amounts to a palpable or overriding error: Toneguzzo‑Norvell v. Burnaby Hospital, 1994 CanLII 106 (SCC), [1994] 1 S.C.R. 114 at ¶ 14 - 18.

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