TY - BOOK
T1 - Expert evidence and criminal jury trials
AU - Freckelton, Ian
AU - Goodman-Delahunty, Jane
AU - Horan, Jacqueline
AU - McKimmie, Blake
N1 - Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-259) and index.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - With expert evidence being relied upon ever more frequently in criminal jury cases, evaluation of its admissibility and presentation is being increasingly thrust into the spotlight. However, courts have been reluctant to allow anyone, including researchers, to ask jurors about their deliberations and verdicts in criminal trials, despite this being essential to form an understanding of the challenges they face. Expert Evidence and Criminal Jury Trials draws on an unprecedented empirical study carried out in three Australian jurisdictions. The experiences of real jurors, judges, lawyers, and experts regarding the expert evidence presented to them across a range of 55 criminal trials are analysed and compared in order to illuminate how complex and sometimes conflicting evidence is perceived and understood within adversarial trial systems. The author's insights are intended to facilitate a broader understanding of the role of expert evidence in jury cases and the impediments to effective communication of information to juror, including how these may be alleviated. This study challenges courts, jury trial practitioners, and law reformers to reframe current discussions surrounding expert evidence and to consider innovative options for presentation of expert evidence to jurors, and different criteria for the admissibility of experts' opinions.
AB - With expert evidence being relied upon ever more frequently in criminal jury cases, evaluation of its admissibility and presentation is being increasingly thrust into the spotlight. However, courts have been reluctant to allow anyone, including researchers, to ask jurors about their deliberations and verdicts in criminal trials, despite this being essential to form an understanding of the challenges they face. Expert Evidence and Criminal Jury Trials draws on an unprecedented empirical study carried out in three Australian jurisdictions. The experiences of real jurors, judges, lawyers, and experts regarding the expert evidence presented to them across a range of 55 criminal trials are analysed and compared in order to illuminate how complex and sometimes conflicting evidence is perceived and understood within adversarial trial systems. The author's insights are intended to facilitate a broader understanding of the role of expert evidence in jury cases and the impediments to effective communication of information to juror, including how these may be alleviated. This study challenges courts, jury trial practitioners, and law reformers to reframe current discussions surrounding expert evidence and to consider innovative options for presentation of expert evidence to jurors, and different criteria for the admissibility of experts' opinions.
KW - Expert Evidence
KW - Criminal Trials
KW - Courts
KW - Jury deliberation
M3 - Book
SN - 9780198746348
BT - Expert evidence and criminal jury trials
PB - Oxford University Press
CY - United Kingdom
ER -