NCJ Number
177935
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 1999 Pages: 81-96
Date Published
1999
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The United Kingdom's Criminal Justice Act (1991) allows the videotaped testimony of a child to be substituted for the child's evidence-in-chief in a criminal court; this study assesses whether this procedure has resulted in more children testifying, a reduction in children's levels of distress as witnesses, and a change in verdict patterns.
Abstract
An evaluation of the first 2 years of this legislation was commissioned by the Home Office. During this period, there were 948 trials that involved child witnesses. A total of 640 applications were made to the court to show a video as a child's examination-in-chief; of these, 470 were granted. Of the remainder, 25 were refused, and 145 were rendered unnecessary by a late guilty plea. A total of 202 videotapes were shown at trial. The evaluation research involved interviews with professionals who used the new procedure (social workers, police officers, barristers, and judges), observational assessment of the quality and impact of the evidence of children via videotape as opposed to a live link at court, and an audit of a sample of taped interviews to establish the degree to which they followed the recommendations of the "Memorandum." In addition, the Lord Chancellor's Department made available its database on the frequency and outcomes of trials. Findings show that the use of videotaped testimony resulted in children receiving a better quality of interview from the police than from the barristers in court, thus reducing the child's stress. Also, the use of videotaped testimony increased children's court access; however, it did not apparently impact verdicts. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 22 references