R v Robinson

• Jurisdiction: Cayman Islands
• Judge: (Swift, Ag. J.)
• Judgment Date: 11 November 2014
• Date: 11 November 2014
• Court: Grand Court (Cayman Islands)

Grand Court, Criminal Division

(Swift, Ag. J.)

R.

and

ROBINSON (E.G.)

Attorneys: Govt. Legal Dept.; Stenning & Assocs. for the defendant.

Criminal Procedure-juries-supplying transcript of evidence to jury

A jury is entitled to take a transcript of an audio recording of an interview with it when it retires, provided that the recording is not intended to act as a substitute for a witness giving evidence-in-chief (R. v. Emmerson (1991), 92 Cr. App. R. 284, followed). It is useful for a jury to retain a transcript in order to assist it in its recollection of the evidence, particularly when recordings are lengthy. There is a danger that the jury may, in cases of recorded interviews with witnesses, focus more on the written word than the live impression made by the witness. The latter is a more pressing consideration where the recording is intended to take the place of the witness giving evidence-in-chief, e.g....