E-Courts

There is increased use of electronic evidence in large civil and criminal trials, where the amount of physical evidence would potentially overwhelm the court. The use of electronic Casebook and Courtbook software is a valid use of technology to alleviate some of the issues with the storage and retrieval of large amounts of evidence.

ICE Design specialise in the design of hardware solutions that allow for the display of the electronic evidence. Our knowledge of courtroom protocols and the current display technologies ensures the display systems will not only meet the technology needs, but also the operational and legal needs of the courtroom.

The modern courtroom has moved a long way from the stenowriter and audio cassette. Digital multi-track recording systems based upon a PC with appropriate software are increasingly becoming the norm.

There are challenges for the courtroom designer in developing appropriate solutions for digital recording. It is not enough to ensure the signal is recorded. There must be no loss of words or syllables, no premature or inadvertent switching of microphones, and no loss of recording volume as more microphones become active. It is also essential that microphone selection and placement minimises the pickup of extraneous noise that can mask the recordings.

It has also been shown that there is a direct correlation between recorded audio quality and the time taken (and therefore cost) for transcription. As transcript can form a large and ongoing budget item for a jurisdiction, any potential for cost savings should be welcomed.