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                                       7.


     Presentation graphics and summaries - simplifying complex evidence



The principal purpose of the use of presentation graphics and various forms of
summaries is to simplify complex evidence so as to make it more understandable
to the jury. Traditionally, evidence is presented to the jury and the court in
an oral narrative form. References to interrelated documents or events are
also usually made in this manner. One of the distinguishing features of a
complex trial is a multitude of evidence concerning linked documents or
events. One approach to simplifying such complex evidence is to present it in
a summarised or graphical form. As Sir Brian Neill LJ recently put it, '(w)e
must aim at brevity, clarity and simplicity - a sort of forensic cuisine
minceur' (Neill (1992)). This Chapter discusses the justifications for the use
of graphics and summaries, the uses that can be made of them, and the
evidentiary changes that are needed to maximise their use and value. It
concludes with a discussion of the provision of such materials to the jury.



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