'n Regsvergelykende studie van deskundige getuienis in straf- en siviele verhore
| dc.contributor.advisor | Oosthuizen, H. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Van der Merwe Fick, C. P. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Knoetze, Izette | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-10-29T08:44:37Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-10-29T08:44:37Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2007-11 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2007-11 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2007-11 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Progress in the field of science requires more and more the use of experts as witnesses during legal proceedings. It is due to the complex nature of some scientific principles that legal practitioners make use of expert witnesses to answer their questions and to supply them with reasons for their answers as well. Due to their expertise and/or experience, expert witnesses are in a position to explain to the courts complex concepts and to help the courts in their understanding and interpretation of scientific principles. Courts, however, have a discretion to reject evidence by expert witnesses should the court be of the opinion that such evidence is irrelevant and unreliable or if the witness failed to substantiate, to the satisfaction of the court, the reason for his or her opinion. The report of the expert witness contains an exposition of the reasons on which he or she basis his or her opinion. The report has the further use that it affords the court a chance to subject it to cross-examination. Aspects on which expert witnesses may testify is legion. Examples discussed above include among other things evidence regarding deoxyribonucleic acid testing on blood samples taken from a victim of crime, evidence extracted by means of a polygraph test, evidence regarding fingerprints, earprints, brain fingerprinting and thermal imaging. Evidence by psychologists and psychiatrists is an important aid should a court, for example, have to decide on the custody and access of minors after divorce. Interception and/or tapping of cellular and/or telephone conversations is a relatively simple and fast way to obtain evidence during the investigation of an alleged offence. In this regard, the Bill of Rights calls for a weighing of interests of the right to privacy (of the accused) and the public interest (the maintaining of law and order). Legislation regulates most matters concerning expert evidence. Case law should provide guidelines to the courts in their evaluation of expert evidence. If an expert witness presents evidence regarding an unknown scientific technique to the court, the courts should look to international case law for guidance. American case law laid down principles that should be met before evidence regarding an unknown scientific technique is presented in court and may serve as guidelines to South African courts. Factors such as the reliability and acceptance of a technique in scientific circles both play a role in the adjudication of the question concerning the admission and/or rejection of evidence as far as that technique is concerned. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die publiek asook wetgewers beskik nie oor die wiskundige en wetenskaplike beginsels wat noodsaaklik is vir die onderskeid tussen wetenskap en pseudo wetenskap nie, daarom is deskundiges se getuienis noodsaaklik. Die vooruitgang op die gebied van die wetenskap noodsaak al hoe meer die gebruik van deskundiges as getuies tydens verhoorverrigtinge. Dit is vanweë die komplekse aard van sommige wetenskaplike beginsels dat regspraktisyns van deskundiges gebruik maak om hul vrae te beantwoord en ’n verduideliking daarvoor te verskaf. Deskundige getuies is vanweë hul kennis en/of ondervinding in staat om moeilike begrippe aan die hof te verduidelik en die hof behulpsaam te wees by die interpretasie van wetenskaplike beginsels. Die hof het egter ’n diskresie om getuienis van deskundiges te verwerp indien die hof van mening is dat die deskundige se getuienis irrelevant of onbetroubaar is of indien die deskundige nie genoegsame redes vir sy opinie verskaf het nie. Die deskundige getuie se verslag bevat die uiteensetting van redes waarop sy opinie berus. Die verslag bied geleentheid aan regslui om die getuie tydens die verhoor te kruisondervra. Die aspekte waaroor deskundiges kan getuig is legio. Voorbeelde wat hier bespreek is sluit ondermeer in getuienis van deskundiges wat deoksiribonukleïensuur-toetsing uitgevoer het op byvoorbeeld ’n bloedmonster van ’n slagoffer, getuienis wat verkry is na aflegging van ’n poligraaftoets, getuienis van vingerafdrukke, oorafdrukke, breingolfafdrukke en thermal imaging. Getuienis van psigiaters en sielkundiges is ’n belangrike hulpmiddel indien die hof byvoorbeeld moet beslis oor die beheer en toesig van minderjarige kinders ná egskeiding. Onderskepping en/of meeluistering van sellulêre- en/of telefoongesprekke is ’n betreklik maklik en vinnige manier om getuienis tydens die ondersoek van ’n beweerde misdryf te verkry. In hierdie verband vereis die Handves van Regte ’n belange-afweging van die reg op privaatheid (van die beskuldigde) teenoor die openbare belang (die handhawing van wet en orde). Deskundige getuienis word veral deur wetgewing gereguleer. Regspraak behoort aan die howe riglyne te bied in die beoordeling van deskundige getuienis. Indien getuienis van ’n onbekende tegniek deur ’n deskundige getuie aangebied word, behoort die howe hul te wend tot buitelandse reg. Die Amerikaanse regspraak verskaf in hierdie verband vereistes alvorens getuienis van onbekende tegniek aangebied staan te word, wat as riglyn vir Suid-Afrikaanse howe kan dien. Faktore soos die betroubaarheid en aanvaarding van die tegniek in die wetenskap speel beide ’n rol by die beoordeling van die vraag van die toelating en/of verwerping van sodanige getuienis. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1489 | |
| dc.language.iso | af | af |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (LL.D. (Criminal and Medical Law))--University of the Free State, 2007 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Evidence, Expert -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Witnesses -- South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Expert evidence | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Fingerprints | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Lie-detector | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Opinion evidence | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Interception/Tapping | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Polygraph | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Psychiatrist | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Psychologist | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Relevancy | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thermal Imaging | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Earprints | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Brainfingerprinting | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Admissibility | en_US |
| dc.title | 'n Regsvergelykende studie van deskundige getuienis in straf- en siviele verhore | af |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |