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Police "may interpret video"

01 January 1991

Police "may interpret video"
artdoc February=1996

The Court of Appeal gave the green light to yet more miscarriages
of justice in April when it condoned the practice of police
taking juries through blurred video images, showing where acts
of violence were taking place and identifying those committing
them. The jury could not have identified anyone from the video,
but the officer had looked at it over 40 times and compared it
with good-quality still photos of the defendants. In these
circumstances it was reasonable and fair for the officer to
assist the jury by pointing out what he said was happening in the
crowded scenes on film, the court said. How long will it be
before the court accepts evidence of police officers' dreams?
R v Clare, Independent 7.4.95

No to "mob rule"

Harbour boards and airport authorities were wrong to bow to
public protest and ban livestock trade, said the High Court in
April. Coventry City Council and Dover Habour Board decided to
ban the export of live animals after a series of protests caused
disruption. Lord Justice Simon Brown said that the authorities
had no discretion to refuse lawful trade, and even if they had,
to submit to "the dictates of unlawful pressure groups".
R v Coventry Airport ex parte Phoenix Aviation and others,
Independent 13.4.95

Teenage informers? A year long research project, to be carried
out by the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, will consider the
feasibility of establishing a network of teenage informers. The
project will be headed by Detective Sgt Sam Balsdon, who has
worked with adult informers, and has been approved by Home
Secretary, Michael Howard. It is claimed that the use of young
informers, some of whom would still be at school, would be
valuable in preventing juvenile crime. Observer 23.4.95.