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7.3. Purposes of use of presentation graphics


Mills (1991) and Tantum (1991) both distinguish between three types of uses of
presentation graphics, irrespective of the technology used to prepare them:

i) 'Fact' graphics illustrate the most important agreed facts in the case.
Examples include time lines indicating the order in which events occurred, or
diagrams to explain the structure of a company or an interlocking group of
companies.

ii) 'Concept' graphics illustrate concepts with which a judge or jury may not
be familiar, without any particular reference to the facts of the case being
tried. For example, concepts such as reinsurance, the operation of the futures
market, how unit trusts work, 'DNA fingerprinting' or projectile movements
could be the subject of concept graphics. Concept graphics will often require
support by expert evidence, and may become contentious if there is expert
disagreement concerning the concept.

iii) 'Case' graphics show the basis of the allegation, or of the defence, and
are therefore different from fact graphics in that they include disputed
facts, and inferences which either side argues can be drawn from the facts
that they allege. Such graphics will often be contentious. Possible objections
may include claims that inferences are being unfairly presented as facts or
that the graphics are presented in such as way as to have emotive
connotations.



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