header-logo header-logo

Silent witness

24 February 2015 / Tracey Stretton
Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Technology , Jackson
printer mail-detail

Tracey Stretton highlights the power of electronic evidence

Somewhere between conviction and appeal in the widely publicised Oscar Pistorius trial, I find myself thinking not only about the tragedy that occurred two years ago but also about justice and about the power that electronic evidence has to shape it. I am going to perhaps disappoint you now by expressing no opinion on the case, even though I am a South African lawyer, mainly because I do not feel equipped to do so and because we are somewhere between a conviction and an appeal.

Watching a trial played out in the media is no match for reading the actual transcripts of the trial, studying the legal concepts and working with forensic experts to form a proper view of the evidence. Many of us have felt for some time, however, that there were silent witnesses in the room on the fateful night that Reeva Steenkamp was shot. These took the shape of iPhones and iPads which might have revealed what happened. I thought it would be instructive

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
back-to-top-scroll