BCL’s Paul Morris and David Hardstaff are quoted in an article from The Law Society Gazette, discussing recent reports of complainants being asked to hand over digital data in investigations.
An extract from the article:
“Deep divisions have emerged within the profession on new measures to enable police access to digital devices in criminal cases.
The National Police Chiefs Council and Crown Prosecution Service are introducing standardised consent forms for allowing access to phones and other devices, because of what they describe as inconsistencies in the current approach to explaining why a complainant or witness’s digital device has to be seized.”
The quote from BCL Solicitors:
“However London firm BCL Solicitors criminal law specialists Paul Morris and David Hardstaff pointed out that rape and other sexual offences are some of the most difficult cases to investigate, adjudicate and defend. ‘In cases where there can often be so little evidence in addition to the word of the complainant pointing either to the guilt or innocence of a defendant, it is incumbent on investigators to consider every potentially relevant line of enquiry,’ they said.”
This article was originally published by The Law Society Gazette on 6th May 2019. Read the full version on their website.