Beyond the Sea: An American View of Scientific Evidence in English Criminal Cases

Abstract

Paul Roberts' and Adrian Zuckerman's ambitious new book, Criminal Evidence, applies the authors' "contexualized approach to evidence and proof" to study the question of how scientific evidence is used in English criminal trials. This review provides a critical read of Roberts' and Zuckerman's analysis and compares their review of the English evidentiary rules to the American law. The review also examines how the rules of evidence should change in response to the series of recent high profile exonerations that have occurred in each country.