{"id":3397,"date":"2022-10-19T10:55:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T10:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=3397"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:28:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:28:49","slug":"seccao-28-a-utilizacao-crescente-de-provas-pre-gravadas-nos-julgamentos-penais","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/pt\/percepcoes\/seccao-28-a-utilizacao-crescente-de-provas-pre-gravadas-nos-julgamentos-penais\/","title":{"rendered":"Sec\u00e7\u00e3o 28: a utiliza\u00e7\u00e3o crescente de provas pr\u00e9-gravadas em julgamentos penais"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first of two articles, Piers Desser, Criminal<\/a> Contencioso<\/a> Partner at Ronald Fletcher Baker, explains the origins of pre-recorded video evidence<\/a> used in courts and describes how the scheme works in practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

O conceito de testemunho oral pr\u00e9-gravado nos tribunais penais n\u00e3o \u00e9 novo. Apesar do facto de as provas gravadas em v\u00eddeo reproduzidas em julgamento parecerem um desenvolvimento recente, foram concebidas h\u00e1 d\u00e9cadas e destinavam-se originalmente a obter melhores provas para crian\u00e7as e testemunhas vulner\u00e1veis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtues of presenting evidence to a jury in this manner have been debated in the House of Commons on numerous occasions and the recent expansion of the scheme to include adicional<\/a> Crown Courts vontade<\/a> mean that more lawyers will need to engage<\/a> with this format of trial. Various aspects of this procedure are now worth considering afresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foi a Lei da Justi\u00e7a Penal de 1988 que tornou poss\u00edvel, pela primeira vez, que uma testemunha prestasse depoimento fora da sala de audi\u00eancias atrav\u00e9s de uma liga\u00e7\u00e3o em direto. Apercebendo-se do seu potencial, Douglas Hurd, o ent\u00e3o Ministro do Interior, encomendou um inqu\u00e9rito para estudar outras iniciativas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O Comit\u00e9 Pigot da\u00ed resultante baseou-se numa grande variedade de provas para apresentar propostas que, na altura, eram radicais. Estas propostas inclu\u00edam a produ\u00e7\u00e3o de provas totalmente pr\u00e9-gravadas para algumas testemunhas, em especial nos casos que envolviam alega\u00e7\u00f5es de car\u00e1cter sexual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De certa forma, estava \u00e0 frente do seu tempo e foram necess\u00e1rios anos para que algumas dessas propostas entrassem em pr\u00e1tica - o que foi poss\u00edvel, em parte, gra\u00e7as \u00e0 Sec\u00e7\u00e3o 28 da Lei sobre Justi\u00e7a Juvenil e Prova Criminal de 1999, que trata diretamente das provas pr\u00e9-gravadas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u2018Potencial de risco para um julgamento justo\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Os benef\u00edcios para a justi\u00e7a s\u00e3o claros. A idade e a maturidade devem ser apoiadas por um quadro legislativo que permita que as provas sejam ampliadas com clareza atrav\u00e9s de um procedimento que proporcione prote\u00e7\u00e3o contra as press\u00f5es potencialmente injustas do sistema contradit\u00f3rio e um exame s\u00f3lido.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allowing witnesses to give their account in a more comfortable environment, not on the witnesses stand<\/a>, and at an appropriate pace would lead to more reliable evidence, the committee reasoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Os inconvenientes do regime eram os riscos potenciais para um julgamento justo. O registo do depoimento de uma testemunha meses antes do pr\u00f3prio julgamento cria o risco de a testemunha ter de ser chamada a depor. O processo de julgamento \u00e9 notoriamente din\u00e2mico e o registo pr\u00e9vio do depoimento de um queixoso era sempre suscet\u00edvel de criar obst\u00e1culos pr\u00e1ticos caso surgissem novas informa\u00e7\u00f5es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, it was anticipated that cross-examination would be restricted to an extent that made it difficult for an advocate to properly challenge<\/a> the evidence of the witness, dulling the long-established techniques for undermining credibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, Section 28 was rolled out to a number<\/a> of pilot courts and the procedure quickly built up its own conventions upon implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, the procedure commences with the police deciding that the case is suitable for the witness, frequently<\/a> the complainant, to give their account as a video recording, known as Achieving Best Evidence (ABE). This means that the genesis of the procedure relies upon an officer making such a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This recording then becomes the witness\u2019s evidence in chief \u2013 which would be played to the jury at trial. The footage can be edited by agreement<\/a>, but a potential flaw of this method is that the prosecuting advocate is already bound by the narrative questioning set by the officer conducting the ABE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u2018Vulner\u00e1vel \u00e0 qualidade do interrogat\u00f3rio policial\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This can have a discordant effect on how the prosecution<\/a> case is presented to the jury, especially in factually complex cases. It is also vulnerable to the quality of police questioning, which may be habitually suitable for a cautioned interview<\/a> with a suspect but not necessarily to adduce a jury-friendly version of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Com a ABE gravada, um processo a caminho do julgamento \u00e9 ent\u00e3o listado para uma Audi\u00eancia de Regras B\u00e1sicas para estabelecer um calend\u00e1rio para a grava\u00e7\u00e3o da Sec\u00e7\u00e3o 28 do contrainterrogat\u00f3rio. Nesta fase, \u00e9 de salientar o facto de as orienta\u00e7\u00f5es indicarem que cada interveniente - tanto o advogado como o juiz - deve estar dispon\u00edvel para cada fase do processo, independentemente de outros compromissos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isto cria problemas na fixa\u00e7\u00e3o de prazos adequados e exige um n\u00edvel de obriga\u00e7\u00e3o mais elevado do que nos casos n\u00e3o abrangidos pelo regime, o que pode colocar problemas \u00e9ticos, em especial para os advogados de defesa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al\u00e9m disso, alguns tribunais ordenaram que os advogados de defesa apresentassem uma lista de perguntas antes da data da audi\u00eancia, para aprova\u00e7\u00e3o judicial pr\u00e9via. Embora a discuss\u00e3o pr\u00e9via dos temas do contrainterrogat\u00f3rio seja sem d\u00favida um exerc\u00edcio sensato, as perguntas pr\u00e9-aprovadas constituem claramente um risco para a integridade do processo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Section 28 hearing itself, the advocate will be inside the court room with the witness in a room in another<\/a> part of the court. Appropriate time periods are set for questioning and it is incumbent upon an advocate to request permission<\/a> from the judge to ask a derivative question should the witness\u2019s answer give opportunity to develop the point further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judges have a duty to intervene in the event that unsuitable questions are posed or the style of questioning is not appropriate to the witness. Short questions in plain English are the order of the day. The intention<\/a> of the scheme is that both ABE and the recorded product of the Section 28 cross-examination are played to the jury at trial, with the witness absent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Next time: In the second article to be published soon, Piers gives further insight<\/a> into Section 28 through personal experience and concludes his explanation of the scheme with consideration<\/a> of its future.<\/em><\/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>020 7613 7138 ou correio eletr\u00f3nico\u00a0p.desser@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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