Expert Evidence in the Criminal Justice Process: A Comparative Perspective

Description

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.

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