Visual Evidence: A Practitioner’s Manual

This is a combination legal reference text and practical how-to guide to the use of visual evidence (videotapes, photographs and motion picture films) in Commonwealth courts.

It focuses on the admissibility and weight of, and uses for, visual evidence in the civil and criminal courts of Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Hong Kong, South Africa are also reviewed. A separate chapter on American law is also included.

Uses for videotape in civil cases:

• Views of accident scenes, reconstructions and re-enactments, demonstrations, tests, out of court experiments, pictures of plaintiffs’ injuries, day-in-the-life documentaries, surveillance of suspected malingering plaintiffs, surveillance in the workplace (unionized or not), deposition and commission evidence, computer animations, and medical demonstrative evidence.

Uses for videotape in criminal cases:

• Views of crime scenes, re-enactments and confessions, psychiatric interviews, commission evidence, preliminary inquiries, prosecution of sexual offences, videotapes of suspected intoxicated drivers, surveillance of criminal suspects, casino surveillance, video links (video conferencing) and computer animations. The use of video in family law proceedings is also presented.

Added features include summaries, checklists, forms, photographs, medical illustrations, and video stills from computer animations.

To Order Visual Evidence A Practitioner's Manual: contact Carswell/Thomson Professional Publishing toll free at 1-800-387-5164 and quote ISBN # 0-459-36261-5 or order online via the Carswell Publishing web site.

Visual Evidence is a two volume loose-leaf supplemented book which is updated at least twice yearly. Price includes binder. Supplements (updates) invoiced separately.