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                                        3.


                     Criminal trial computerisation - a survey



This Chapter reviews the progress that has been made in Australia, and in some
overseas jurisdictions, in applying information technology to complex trials.
One purpose is to sketch a number of administrative arrangements and computing
systems to which it will be necessary to make regular reference throughout
this Report. In addition, it is desirable to make some initial assessment of
the extent to which any jurisdication has solved the problems of complex
criminal trials through the use of information technology, so that we can
avoid 're-inventing the wheel'.

The two Australian jurisdictions which have made the most systematic attempts
to computerise matters relevant to the conduct of criminal trials, at least
from the judicial perspective, are South Australia and Western Australia.
Because developments in these jurisdictions are complex and integrated, a
brief sketch of each is provided, so that later discussion of each system's
specific features may be understood in its proper context. In other Australian
jurisdictions there is less evidence of systematic or successful attempts to
address these problems, so developments are only noted briefly, where known.



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