In Person
In recent times the courts have operated a presumption that absent evidence to the contrary, the courts will presume that mechanical instruments (including computers) were in working order at the material time. But is this presumption safe for the modern age? The recent Post Office scandal suggests that the time is ripe to revisit the thinking in this area.
We will address:
- The mechanical device presumption
- Computers as mechanical devices & the role of software
- Presumptions and judicial notice
- The full scope of modern technology
- Reliability and authenticity
- Provenance and integrity
- Archiving and migration
- Understanding metadata
- Real v hearsay evidence
- Challenging electronic evidence
- Challenging human intervention
- Seeking disclosure
Materials will include the book Electronic Evidence and Electronic Signatures
Professor Stephen Mason, Barrister at Middle Temple and Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Stephen Mason is a leading authority on electronic evidence and electronic signatures, having advised global corporations and governments on these topics. He is also the editor of International Electronic Evidence (British Institute of International and Comparative Law 2008), and he founded the innovative international open access journal Digital Evidence and Electronic Signatures Law Review in 2004. https://uolpress.co.uk/book/electronic-evidence-and-electronic-signatures/
David Bridge
David has worked with computers since long before Microsoft became a household name. The principles of software engineering haven’t changed in that time and, indeed, his knowledge of the fundamentals is an increasingly valuable asset. He has been an IT trainer for over 30 years, training up to C suite level at BT.
Jonathan Bridge
Jonathan has been involved with the law since helping to found the International Association of Refugee Law Judges in 1997, having worked with Judge Geoffrey Care on its inception in 1995. He qualified in 2007 and has worked in legal academia and as General Counsel to several businesses since then.
This course will showcase the fifth edition of ‘Electronic Evidence and Electronic Signatures’ by Stephen Mason and Daniel Seng and discounted copies of the book will be available only to course delegates.
Reviews of Professor Mason’s book
“There are more things in Electronic Evidence and Electronic Signatures than I had ever dreamt of, philosophically or otherwise. This is a valuable addition to the bookshelf; not just for practitioners, but for those interested in —or simply curious about—the topics covered”
–New Law Journal
“A valuable resource for practitioners and academics.”– “European Journal of Law and Technology”
“This book brings litigation into the 21st century with a satisfying thud. It takes on board the wisdom of the accepted academic tomes that are relevant to its themes, particularly evidence and disclosure, and styles itself as complementary to those works.”– “New Law Journal”