Unit 3 Controlled Assessment Notes- from crime scene to courtroom. Has all assessment criteria with cases and evaluation (very detailed and predicted an A, over 60+ hours of work). Created using textbooks, class notes and the 2021 specification.
Evidence
● Lies at heart of process criminal cases
● Primary/most significant influence on verdict - Jury decide on E presented
● Jury oath ‘I swear by almighty God that I will faithfully try the D+give a true verdict
according to the evidence’
● Cps decide if sufficient/strong E
● Physical/testimonial- Jury/ magistrate attach weight considered appropriate
● Reach verdict (guilty/not guilty)- Beyond reasonable doubt D guilty (standard of
proof)
● Any doubt- acquittal
Sally Clark (evidence caused miscarriage of justice):
○ Accused of killing two babies
○ Professor Roy Meadows- senior paediatrician (expert witness)
○ Incorrect stats in court- led to wrongful conviction
○ 1 in 73 million chance of 2 babies dying of sudden infant death syndrome
○ Actually 1 in 3000
○ 3 years in prison- misscarriage of Justice
○ Journalist- "one of great miscarriages justice in modern British legal history”
● Burden of proof on P (have to prove claims)
● D doesn’t prove- cast doubt on E+prove p's arguments insufficient for conviction
April Jones (casted doubt):
○ 5yr abducted+sexually motivated murder
○ Accused Mark Bridger- 6 children
○ Last seen playing with 7yr friend
○ EWT- seemed happy/willing to get into MB land rover
○ Lack of DNA in car- P cast doubt on EWT due to age
○ Police found sadistic child sexual abuse+corpses children images computer
○ looked at before abduction picture of girl with gaffer tape around mouth raped by
older man, had gaffer tape in car
○ Picture of local teenage girls+8 April
○ Violent convictions
○ MB claimed he’d ran her over- panicked drink driving+forgot what he did with body
○ DNA breakthrough- Found blood in Bridgers cottage+fragment bone in
fireplace/bathroom plughole
○ Jury found him guilty-life
● Evidence unreliable/ not credible- Jury less likely to believe it
● April Jones- EWT unreliable- P casted doubt due to age
William Roche (reliability of evidence):
○ Accused 5 sexual assault charges-40 yrs ago (no current evidence)
○ W provided inconsistent testimonies- criticised by barristers
○ Alleged victim recalled to give evidence- P casted doubt on testimony- couldnt
remeber details about cottage where rape allegedly happened
○ no allegations at time of alleged assaults
○ no contemporaneous evidence to show he’d met accusers
○ Found not guilty of all charges- evidence not reliable
Judgment
, ● Big impact on outcome of case- proves innocence/guilt
● Miscarriages of justice- Sally Clark
● Different types have more impact/trusted more- e.g. expert witnesses DNA+EW
trusted by jury- unique+reliable (lead to secure evidence)
● EWT- trusted by Jury to extent (P casted doubt age- April Jones)
Media in criminal trial
● Research Bakshay+Haney- highlighted impact of pre-trial publicity on serious cases
● Public (laypeople) opinion- media coverage (biased/untrue)
● English law, innocent until proven guilty- Jury preconceived idea from media (affect
jurors vote-suspect fair trial?)
● "trial by media" instead of trial by jury on E presented
Caroline Flack (how media targets suspect):
○ English television/radio presenter
○ Awaiting trial- accused assault Bf
○ CPS criticised by lawyers with decision to charge
○ Attacked by media- 99 total Sun articles
○ 387 stories published at same time (¼ negative tone- 35% negative/fake headline’s)
○ ‘She tried to kill me’-BF didn't support prosecution
○ Suicide- Carolines law (Criminal offence- media knowingly/relentless bully person up
to point of suicide)
Christopher Jefferies:
○ Arrested+interview- murder Joanna Yeates
○ Attacked+sterotypes by media- made suspect
○ ‘weird, lewd, strange, creepy, odd, disturbing, angry, eccentric, loner, unusual’- 1
article
○ Found innocent- newspapers forced public apology+paid substantial libel damages
● Contempt of court act 1991- sets strict liability rules-media- trial begins media must
restrict articles (can be fined)
● Minimise prejudice against D+ensures fair trial+protects J outside pressure,
influences+distractions
Taylor sisters:
○ Convicted of murder- misscarriage of justice
○ Cleared on appeal-sensational reporting (trial- Contempt of Court act)
○ Media convicted ‘unremitting, sensationalist, inaccurate+ misleading’ coverage
○ So bad- risk of prejudice
○ Media found guilty (directly affected conviction- acknowledged CoA)
● Social media- putting right to fair trial at risk
● Laws against media reporting- protect against social media?
Angela Wrightson:
○ 2 schoolgirls- convited murder (brutally attacker AW in own home 2014)
○ Earlier trial- abandoned by Crown Court judge
○ Social media comments/ prejudice comments (impact verdict- material/views not
presented in court)
○ ‘Unrealistic expect jurors not look at sm during trial’
● Government set up contempt of court webpage- explains risks using sm to
undermine administration of justice
Judgement
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller TeeBott04. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.48. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
