The Expert Witness Grievance Process is a mechanism through which complaints can be made against STS members who may have violated the Society's standards for expert witnesses contained in the STS Statement on the Physician Acting as an Expert Witness. The Society established its standards for expert witnesses in the Statement in order to promote fairness and accuracy in the field of medical liability. Initially adopted by the STS Board of Directors in May 2003, the Statement was adapted from guidelines developed by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the American College of Surgeons, and several other medical groups. This policy, with which all STS members must comply, was most recently amended in June 2011. The Society's Procedural Guidelines for Handling Ethics Complaints Against STS Members describes the detailed process by which a formal complaint may be lodged against a member who is alleged to have acted inappropriately in giving expert testimony, or otherwise acted unethically.