Private recordings as evidence in criminal proceedings

Modern technology has provided us with unlimited possibilities for audio and visual recording, which can, unfortunately, also be used for the violation of human rights and freedoms. With the agreement of involved parties, the use of the recording is likely to be uncontroversial. However, complex issues arise when the recording is covert, and when the recording party wants to rely upon the recording, or the transcript of it, to prove an illegal act in court proceedings. The question arises as to how to strike a balance between the need to protect security and investigate the truth and the need to protect the right to privacy and the personal sphere. Particularly interesting legal issues are those that concern the justification and the permissibility of the use of illegal or covert recordings in the capacity of evidence in criminal proceedings. Bearing in mind the above, the paper is devoted to the analysis of legislation concerning protection of privacy and the legislation on the subject of illegal evidence in criminal proceedings. This issue is especially interesting due to the fact that Serbian criminal law accepts the theory of "the fruits of the poisonous tree", which means that the criteria for the evaluation of the validity of the evidence are particularly strict. In that context, the normative, axiological and comparative law method has been used to analyse the subject matter. The author has also referred to the comparative law and to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. The aim of the paper is to point out to the certain ambiguities in Serbian positive law, in order to develop appropriate recommendations for the practical use and for the improvement of normative solutions.