Using Mobile Telephone Data - A Guide for Criminal Lawyers

Introduction

This webinar will explore how information on mobile telephones is extracted, reviewed, and presented in criminal proceedings.

Most criminal investigations now involve the seizure of a mobile telephone. Devices range from cheap 'burner' phones with limited functionality, through to smartphones with a suite of apps - each potentially containing a treasure trove of evidence.

For those both prosecuting and defending, an understanding of how data is taken from a device, reviewed, and then processed, is crucial to appreciating its evidential value and what else might be available. This webinar seeks to provide enough technical knowledge that practitioners feel confident making and responding to applications involving mobile telephone downloads, without getting bogged down in the detail.

The webinar will take practitioners through the key stages in the extraction process. The applicable law will be set out, including the special rules investigators need to deal with for devices handed over by complainants and witnesses. Tips for disclosure will be covered, as well as how material from mobile telephones is commonly placed before a judge or jury.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• How data is extracted from a mobile telephone
• The legal powers an investigator can use to examine a device
• How a device should be reviewed for evidential and disclosable material
• How extracted information is commonly shared and presented to the court and other parties
• How disclosure requests should be made and responded to

This webinar was recorded on 19th October 2023