Download or read book Expert evidence in criminal proceedings in England and Wales written by Great Britain: Law Commission and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-03-22 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project addressed the admissibility of expert evidence in criminal proceedings in England and Wales. Currently, too much expert opinion evidence is admitted without adequate scrutiny because no clear test is being applied to determine whether the evidence is sufficiently reliable to be admitted. Juries may therefore be reaching conclusions on the basis of unreliable evidence, as confirmed by a number of miscarriages of justice in recent years. Following consultation on a discussion paper (LCCP 190, 2009, ISDBN 9780118404655) the Commission recommends that there should be a new reliability-based admissibility test for expert evidence in criminal proceedings. The test would not need to be applied routinely or unnecessarily, but it would be applied in appropriate cases and it would result in the exclusion of unreliable expert opinion evidence. Under the test, expert opinion evidence would not be admitted unless it was adjudged to be sufficiently reliable to go before a jury. The draft Criminal Evidence (Experts) Bill published with the report (as Appendix A) sets out the admissibility test and also provides the guidance judges would need when applying the test, setting out the key reasons why an expert's opinion evidence might be unreliable. The Bill also codifies (with slight modifications) the uncontroversial aspects of the present law, so that all the admissibility requirements for expert evidence would be set out in a single Act of Parliament and carry equal authority.
Download or read book The Admissibility of Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings in England and Wales written by Great Britain. Law Commission and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The law governing the admissibility of expert evidence in criminal trials is unsatisfactory. If the reliability of expert evidence is in question, there are no clear guide lines for determining whether or not it is sufficiently trustworthy to be considered by the jury. This title makes provisional proposals for reform.
Download or read book The Expert Witness Forensic Science and the Criminal Justice Systems of the UK written by S. Lucina Hackman and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2019-04-24 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The global nature of crime often requires expert witnesses to work and present their conclusions in courts outside their home jurisdiction with the corresponding need for them to have an understanding of the different structures and systems operating in other jurisdictions. This book will be a resource for UK professionals, as well as those from overseas testifying internationally, as to the workings of all UK jurisdictions. It also will help researchers and students to better understand the UK legal system.
Download or read book Expert Evidence and International Criminal Justice written by Artur Appazov and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-01-09 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is a comprehensive narration of the use of expertise in international criminal trials offering reflection on standards concerning the quality and presentation of expert evidence. It analyzes and critiques the rules governing expert evidence in international criminal trials and the strategies employed by counsel and courts relying upon expert evidence and challenges that courts face determining its reliability. In particular, the author considers how the procedural and evidentiary architecture of international criminal courts and tribunals influences the courts’ ability to meaningfully incorporate expert evidence into the rational fact-finding process. The book provides analysis of the unique properties of expert evidence as compared with other forms of evidence and the challenges that these properties present for fact-finding in international criminal trials. It draws conclusions about the extent to which particularized evidentiary rules for expert evidence in international criminal trials is wanting. Based on comparative analyses of relevant national practices, the book proposes procedural improvements to address some of the challenges associated with the use of expertise in international criminal trials.
Download or read book Expert Evidence and Scientific Proof in Criminal Trials written by Paul Roberts and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-05 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forensic science evidence and expert witness testimony play an increasingly prominent role in modern criminal proceedings. Science produces powerful evidence of criminal offending, but has also courted controversy and sometimes contributed towards miscarriages of justice. The twenty-six articles and essays reproduced in this volume explore the theoretical foundations of modern scientific proof and critically consider the practical issues to which expert evidence gives rise in contemporary criminal trials. The essays are prefaced by a substantial new introduction which provides an overview and incisive commentary contextualising the key debates. The volume begins by placingforensic science in interdisciplinary focus, with contributions from historical, sociological, Science and Technology Studies (STS), philosophical and jurisprudential perspectives. This is followed by closer examination of the role of forensic science and other expert evidence in criminal proceedings, exposing enduring tensions and addressing recent controversies in the relationship between science and criminal law. A third set of contributions considers the practical challenges of interpreting and communicating forensic science evidence. This perennial battle continues to be fought at the intersection between the logic of scientific inference and the psychology of the fact-finder‘scommon sense reasoning. Finally, the volume‘s fourth group of essays evaluates the (limited) success of existing procedural reforms aimed at improving the reception of expert testimony in criminal adjudication, and considers future prospects for institutional renewal - with a keen eye to comparative law models and experiences, success stories and cautionary tales.
Download or read book Forensic Science Evidence and Expert Witness Testimony written by Paul Roberts and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forensic science evidence plays a pivotal role in modern criminal proceedings. Yet such evidence poses intense practical and theoretical challenges. It can be unreliable or misleading and has been associated with miscarriages of justice. In this original and insightful book, a global team of prominent scholars and practitioners explore the contemporary challenges of forensic science evidence and expert witness testimony from a variety of theoretical, practical and jurisdictional perspectives. Chapters encompass the institutional organisation of forensic science, its procedural regulation, evaluation and reform, and brim with comparative insight.
Download or read book Expert Evidence in the Criminal Justice Process written by Lirieka Meintjes-van der Walt and published by Purdue University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an increasing trend towards greater use of and reliance on expertise to provide the necessary evidence in the fight against crime. Certain forms of expert evidence can be important and powerful tools in crime detection and proof. At the same time expert evidence can be so persuasive that the incorrect use of such evidence could lead to miscarriages of justice. At the interface between criminal justice systems and expert evidence lies the imperative to deal appropriately with expert evidence within a human rights framework. This study shows how three different countries, England and Wales, the Netherlands and South Africa, while upholding different legal traditions, often face similar problems in the realm of expert evidence. These include the often contradictory expectations of law and science respectively, the difficulties associated with the assessment and evaluation of the probative value of expert evidence as well as the problems associated with the integration of expert evidence in the criminal justice process. In the quest for answers to these questions, the author compares the 'hybrid' criminal justice system of South Africa with the 'adversarial' system found in England and Wales and the 'inquisitional' system in the Netherlands. Beginning with an examination of the meaning and nature of expert evidence, the investigation traces the role of expert evidence in pre-trial proceedings; procedural aspects of expert evidence during trial; the ability to challenge expert evidence and culminates with the dilemma of gauging the probative value of the evidence. This book contributes to the international debate about expert evidence. It is a worthy source for lawyers and judges in South Africa, the Netherlands and England and Wales.
Download or read book Roberts Zuckerman s Criminal Evidence written by Paul Roberts and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-08-04 with total page 1193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roberts and Zuckerman's Criminal Evidence is the eagerly-anticipated third of edition of the market-leading text on criminal evidence, fully revised to take account of developments in legislation, case-law, policy debates, and academic commentary during the decade since the previous edition was published. With an explicit focus on the rules and principles of criminal trial procedure, Roberts and Zuckerman's Criminal Evidence develops a coherent account of evidence law which is doctrinally detailed, securely grounded in a normative theoretical framework, and sensitive to the institutional and socio-legal factors shaping criminal litigation in practice. The book is designed to be accessible to the beginner, informative to the criminal court judge or legal practitioner, and thought-provoking to the advanced student and scholar: a textbook and monograph rolled into one. The book also provides an ideal disciplinary map and work of reference to introduce non-lawyers (including forensic scientists and other expert witnesses) to the foundational assumptions and technical intricacies of criminal trial procedure in England and Wales, and will be an invaluable resource for courts, lawyers and scholars in other jurisdictions seeking comparative insight and understanding of evidentiary regulation in the common law tradition.
Download or read book Expert Evidence written by Tristram Hodgkinson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 722 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the first edition was published, a lot of developments have affected the way in which the courts handle expert evidence. This edition remains faithful to the original and details the developments since its publication.
Download or read book A Practical Guide to the Use of Expert Evidence in Criminal Cases Second Edition written by Richard Padley and published by . This book was released on 2023-04-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent times the use of expert evidence has hit the headlines when scrutiny over the expert's qualifications and experience has undermined the credibility of their evidence. This has rapidly become an area of law that practitioners cannot afford to get wrong. This book takes the practitioner through all stages of the process from initial identification of the need for expert evidence, through to maximising the benefit of this evidence at trial. It considers the practical steps required for adducing expert evidence at trial (noting the appropriate procedure rules and practice directions), and how this can most appropriately be presented to the tribunal (including references to key authorities as appropriate). The second edition of this book provides an update in relation to matters of admissibility and the use of expert evidence, but also expands on the types of expert evidence that practitioners may come across in their own work. It aims to provide the practitioner with a level of understanding of these fields that can be used to build confidence when tackling an expert report and challenging an expert in court. With that in mind it is suitable for both junior practitioners coming across these areas of expertise for the first time and seeking to build their knowledge afresh, as well as the more seasoned practitioner seeking to refresh their knowledge as well as understanding some of the greater detail surrounding the various fields of expertise. CONTENTS Ch 1 - An Introduction to Expert Evidence - What is an expert report? Who can be an expert? The independence of expert witnesses Ch 2 - The use of Expert Evidence in Criminal Proceedings - covering case management, unused material, the presentation of expert evidence in court, directing the jury Ch 3- An introduction to the use of psychiatric evidence in the criminal justice system Ch 4 - Fitness to Plead - An overview of the fitness to plead procedure, including how it can be used in both the Magistrates' and Crown Court, how it is established, and how an acts hearing is conducted Ch 5 - Insanity - How to establish insanity and the consequences of the return of the 'special verdict' Ch 6 - The utility of psychiatric evidence in establishing self defence Ch 7 - Disposal of cases involving elements of mental health treatment - an overview of the options available to the court Ch 8 - Digital Forensics - the principles for obtaining digital evidence, powers to obtain digital material from within the UK and from abroad, principles of examining devices for digital material, issues arising from the disclosure of gitial material. Ch 9 - Cell Site Evidence - What is it? How it can be used? What are its limitations? How can it be challenged? Ch 10 - Modern Slavery - How can an expert assist with matters of modern slavery? Ch 11 - Gangs, Lyrics and Association - When can the prosecution rely on evidence of gang assocation and music lyrics? Ch 12 - An introduction to Forensic Science - How does forensic science fit within the criminal justice system? Ch 13 - Fingerprint Analysis - Recovering and examining fingerprints; cognitive bias in fingerprint examination. Ch 14 - Firearms - analysis of firearms and ballistics; rifling and the identification of firearms; firearm discharge residue. Ch 15 - The use of DNA in Criminal Proceedings - an overview of the science; sources of DNA; interpretation of DNA; establishing the evidential significance of a match; the prosecutor's fallacy; limitations of the science Ch 16 - The use of statistics in forensic science - random match probability; liklihood theory; bayesian theorum; statistical evidence in court. Ch 17 - General tips when using expert evidence
Download or read book Neurolaw and Responsibility for Action written by Bebhinn Donnelly-Lazarov and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-03 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Law regulates human behaviour, a phenomenon about which neuroscience has much to say. Neuroscience can tell us whether a defendant suffers from a brain abnormality, or injury and it can correlate these neural deficits with criminal offending. Using fMRI and other technologies it might indicate whether a witness is telling lies or the truth. It can further propose neuro-interventions to 'change' the brains of offenders and so to reduce their propensity to offend. And, it can make suggestions about whether a defendant knows or merely suspects a prohibited state of affairs; so, drawing distinctions among the mental states that are central to legal responsibility. Each of these matters has philosophical import; is a neurological 'deficit' inculpatory or exculpatory; what is the proper role for law if the mind is no more than the brain; is lying really a brain state and can neuroscience really 'read' the brain? In this edited collection, leading contributors to the field provide new insights on these matters, bringing to light the great challenges that arise when disciplinary boundaries merge.
Download or read book Evidence in Context written by Jonathan Doak and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-05 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evidence in Context explains the key concepts of evidence law in England and Wales clearly and concisely, set against the backdrop of the broader political and theoretical contexts. The book helps to inform students of the major debates within the field, providing an explanation as to how and why the law has developed as it has. This fourth edition has been revised and expanded to include developments in the law of hearsay evidence as well as recent litigation surrounding witness anonymity orders, bad character and vulnerable witnesses. It also addresses the on-going controversy and debate about the use of expert witnesses. A brand new chapter considers the contentious issue of public interest immunity, and the introductory chapter has been substantially expanded to consider the?continuing interplay between the UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights as the role of human rights in evidence becomes increasingly important. Features include: Key learning points to summarise the major principles of evidence law Practical examples to help students understand how the rules are applied in practice Self-test questions to encourage students to reflect on what they have learned A supporting companion website including answers to self-test questions Well-written, clear and with a logical structure throughout, Evidence in Context contains all the information necessary for any undergraduate evidence law module.
Download or read book Expert Witnesses written by Carol A. G. Jones and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1994 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first socio-legal analysis of the role of experts in the legal process, focusing on the role played by expert witnesses in the pre-trial construction of legal cases. It examines the history of forensic science in terms of its cooptation by the law as an aid to advocacy. Given recent concerns about the reliability of forensic evidence in criminal cases, the book is especially topical. Its argument is that, far from being 'abnormal' or 'deviant' science, forensic science in these cases of 'miscarriages of justice' represents a normal practice of science and a typical practice of science in the harness of the law. In some respects, our recent disillusionment with forensic science stems from a wider loss of faith in the promise of modernity - science no longer may be relied upon to provide us with the certainties we seek in order to construct our everyday lives. In one sense, therefore, our loss of confidence in forensic science and the criminal justice system is part of a more profound malaise. This book examines the various options available to us and analyses the ways in which the legal system has, in the past as in the present, sought to redeem its role as a primary means of truth-finding and deliverer of certainty. The book contains new material on the history of science and law as well as drawing upon empirical data and observational study to demonstrate the 'behind the scenes' links between, and pre-trial practices of, lawyers and scientists. It argues that recent attempts to resolve our crisis of confidence in forensic science by moving towards an 'independent' forensic science service are misguided and will eventually lead to 'state closure' of forensic services.As an alternative to this scenario, the author proposes a mixed economy of forensic services, comprising a strong freelance/university sector to off-set the present virtual monopoly by the State. Its analysis and proposals should be of interest to anyone interested in the findings of the Royal Commission on the Criminal Justice System.
Download or read book Expert evidence and miscarriage of justice The case of Sally Clark written by Jasmin Chilley and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Law - Penology, grade: 81, University of the West of England, Bristol, course: Forensic Computing and Security, language: English, abstract: This essay examines the role of expert evidence in court decisions and subsequent miscarriage of justice. To this end, it takes a look at the case of Sally Clark, who was initially convicted for murdering her two infant children and later cleared of the charges. A miscarriage of justice is an ambiguous phase that is capable of instigating many distinctive meanings, interpreted and influenced by life experiences. The widely considered definition is a failure to attain justice. However this undermines The Criminal Justice System who robustly endeavours to convey justice for all, by convicting the guilty and protecting the innocent. Unfortunately this ambition is belittled by the never-ending statistic that defendants are still being wrongfully imprisoned this is because some experts are culprits of fabricating and concealing evidence. Sally Clark’s trial replicates similar characteristics.
Download or read book Evidence Law and Context written by Claire Mcgourlay and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-05-16 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evidence: Law and Context explains the key concepts of evidence law in England and Wales clearly and concisely, set against the backdrop of the broader political and theoretical contexts. The book focuses on the essential topics commonly found on Evidence courses, covering both criminal evidence and civil evidence. Taking a contextual approach, the authors show how wider policy debates and societal trends have impacted upon the recent evolution of the law, helping to explain how and why the law has developed. The sixth edition has been revised to include: the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), and updates on previous statistics on the increase in the use of ‘show pleas,’ false confessions, and miscarriages of justice, alongside a comparative perspective on how the American criminal practice has evolved along a parallel line. Learning points summarise the major principles and rules covered and practical examples are used throughout the text to give better understanding as to how the technical rules are applied in practice. Self-test questions are included in the book, helping students to test their understanding and prepare for assessment. Well written, clear, and with a logical structure throughout, it contains all the information necessary for any undergraduate evidence law module.
Download or read book Principles of Evidence in International Criminal Justice written by Karim A. A. Khan and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 876 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Principles of Evidence in International Criminal Justice provides an overview of the procedure and practice concerning the admission and evaluation of evidence before the international criminal tribunals. The book is both descriptive and critical and its emphasis is on day-to-day practice, drawing on the experience of the Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone Tribunals. This book is an attempt to define and explain the core principles and rules that have developed at those ad hoc Tribunals; the rationale and origin of those rules; and to assess the suitability of those rules in the particular context of the International Criminal Court which is still at its early stages. The ICC differs in structure from the ad hoc Tribunals and approaches the legal issues it has to resolve differently from its predecessors. The ICC is however confronted with many of the same questions. The book examines the differences between the ad hoc Tribunals and the ICC and seeks to offer insights as to how and in which circumstances the principles established over years of practice at the ICTY, ICTR and SCSL may serve as guidance to the ICC practitioners of today and the future. The contributors represent a cross-section of the practicing international criminal bar, drawn from the ranks of the Bench, the Prosecution and the Defence and bringing with them different legal domestic cultures. Their mixed background underlines the recurring theme in this book which is the manner in which a legal culture has gradually taken shape in the international Tribunals, drawing on the various traditions and experiences of its participants.
Download or read book Forensic Evidence in Court written by Craig Adam and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence and its presentation in a court of law is central both to the role of the forensic scientist as an expert witness and to the interests of justice. This book aims to provide a thorough and detailed discussion of the principles and practice of evidence interpretation and evaluation by using real cases by way of illustration. The presentation is appropriate for students of forensic science or related disciplines at advanced undergraduate and master's level or for practitioners engaged in continuing professional development activity. The book is structured in three sections. The first sets the scene by describing and debating the issues around the admissibility and reliability of scientific evidence presented to the court. In the second section, the principles underpinning interpretation and evaluation are explained, including discussion of those formal statistical methods founded on Bayesian inference. The following chapters present perspectives on the evaluation and presentation of evidence in the context of a single type or class of scientific evidence, from DNA to the analysis of documents. For each, the science underpinning the analysis and interpretation of the forensic materials is explained, followed by the presentation of cases which illustrate the variety of approaches that have been taken in providing expert scientific opinion.
