{"id":3387,"date":"2022-11-24T10:49:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T10:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=3387"},"modified":"2025-09-04T16:51:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:51:07","slug":"section-28-lutilisation-croissante-de-preuves-preenregistrees-dans-les-proces-penaux-partie-2","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/fr\/perspectives\/section-28-lutilisation-croissante-de-preuves-preenregistrees-dans-les-proces-penaux-partie-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Article 28 : l'utilisation croissante de preuves pr\u00e9enregistr\u00e9es dans les proc\u00e8s p\u00e9naux. Partie 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his second article about<\/a> the use of pre-recorded video evidence in courts, Piers Desser, Criminal<\/a> Litiges<\/a> Partner at Ronald Fletcher<\/a> Baker, gives further insight<\/a> into the scheme through personal experience and wraps-up with a look to the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own recent experiences of Section 28 recordings touches upon three important areas for consideration<\/a>. During a multi-defendant case in which a young witness gave pre-recorded evidence \u2013 the first such case to utilise the procedure at the Old Bailey \u2013 the risks of a witness being recalled were highlighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parall\u00e8lement \u00e0 notre proc\u00e9dure, ce t\u00e9moin \u00e9tait \u00e9galement impliqu\u00e9 dans une autre affaire qui traitait de questions de violence et d'appartenance \u00e0 un gang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Findings in that case had the potential to substantially affect the evidence of the witness, primarily going to his bad character, and it is entirely foreseeable that in other similar circumstances a trial could be derailed at short notice causing substantial delays<\/a> and waste of resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il est \u00e9galement essentiel que l'enqu\u00eate soit correctement conclue avant que l'article 28 ne soit pris en consid\u00e9ration de mani\u00e8re d\u00e9finitive. Dans une affaire impliquant une all\u00e9gation grave de d\u00e9lit sexuel, le CPS a pris une d\u00e9cision d'inculpation alors que l'accus\u00e9 \u00e9tait encore en d\u00e9tention polici\u00e8re, soit un peu plus de 24 heures apr\u00e8s l'incident lui-m\u00eame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les preuves fournies par le t\u00e9l\u00e9phone de la plaignante \u00e9taient essentielles \u00e0 la plausibilit\u00e9 de son t\u00e9moignage. L'inculpation pr\u00e9coce et la lenteur de l'enqu\u00eate qui a suivi ont d\u00e9clench\u00e9 une proc\u00e9dure totalement d\u00e9sordonn\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018A prosecution<\/a> case that was wholly out-of-step\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prosecution was set upon utilising the Section 28 procedure, to which the Crown Court at Isleworth agreed. However, serious delays in obtaining the phone evidence and practical deficiencies in the police procedure known as Achieving Best Evidence led to a prosecution case that was wholly out-of-step as the complainant\u2019s evidence could not be pre-recorded until the disclosure<\/a> process had been resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un enregistrement en vertu de l'article 28 peu avant le proc\u00e8s est donc discutable et soul\u00e8ve des questions plus larges quant \u00e0 savoir si le syst\u00e8me de justice p\u00e9nale est m\u00eame \u00e9quip\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re ad\u00e9quate pour g\u00e9rer le cadre \u00e9troit et le rythme de la proc\u00e9dure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It appears to be the case that Section 28 creates potential difficulty for appellate lawyers. The final version of the recorded evidence is not stored on the digital platform common to all parties, and so cannot be readily accessed by fresh legal representatives who are assisting in an appeal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A version is retained on a platform operated by Vodafone, but the procedure to obtain retrospective aspect is difficult. Firstly, the court is as yet unsure of its own procedure to grant access and appellant lawyers can find themselves batted back and forth between court and Vodafone to receive the verification details<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Une fois l'acc\u00e8s accord\u00e9, il n'est pas n\u00e9cessairement \u00e9vident que les images affich\u00e9es soient les m\u00eames que celles qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9es au jury. On peut s'attendre \u00e0 ce que des transcriptions soient n\u00e9cessaires pour mieux comprendre ce qui s'est pass\u00e9 au cours du proc\u00e8s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tous ces probl\u00e8mes emp\u00eachent d'explorer correctement les questions d'appel et ont s\u00e9rieusement besoin d'\u00eatre formalis\u00e9s avant que nous n'assistions \u00e0 une augmentation substantielle des points d'appel qui impliquent des preuves de l'article 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Les cas de ce type donnent lieu \u00e0 un travail important.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the courts see more Section 28 cases the importance<\/a> of funding in this area is brought further into the spotlight. The trial is technically deemed to have started once the recording of cross-examination begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Par cons\u00e9quent, le barreau a exig\u00e9 \u00e0 juste titre que l'Agence d'aide juridique reconnaisse le travail accru que repr\u00e9sentent la pr\u00e9paration et la conduite de deux segments d'un proc\u00e8s, souvent \u00e0 plusieurs mois d'intervalle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Du point de vue de l'avocat, les affaires de ce type repr\u00e9sentent \u00e9galement un travail consid\u00e9rable. Outre les questions administratives, toute affaire impliquant un EBA n\u00e9cessite un processus long et minutieux de r\u00e9ception des instructions, de comparaison des transcriptions et de recoupement des preuves provenant d'autres sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La pr\u00e9paration d'une affaire dans laquelle le proc\u00e8s lui-m\u00eame se d\u00e9roule sur plusieurs mois \u00e0 deux moments diff\u00e9rents implique in\u00e9vitablement la duplication appropri\u00e9e et n\u00e9cessaire de l'examen des preuves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, it is my opinion that lawyers should not be funded for, and so expected to have, only one opportunity to consider the primary case documents<\/a>. The legal aid funding scheme for defence solicitors is desperately parlous in any event \u2013 and this true even more so in Section 28 cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When considering the future of the scheme, one can only anticipate that Section 28 va<\/a> encompass more and more cases as the procedure and technology improves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, whilst it is clearly desirable to provide witnesses with the optimum conditions<\/a> in which to give oral testimony it is contrary to the interests of justice to make special measures entirely routine, blunting the efficacy of the examination process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information contact<\/a> Piers Desser directly on <\/strong><\/span>020 7613 7138 ou par courriel\u00a0p.desser@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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