DNA Evidence

The rapid advancement of DNA techniques has turned §courtrooms into scientific forums. The principal aim §of this dissertation, from a Canadian perspective, §was to evalute how judges and jurors interpret, §perceive, and understand DNA evidence. In order to §address this research question, a multi-method §design was adopted consisting of the following: §three separate focus groups (consisting of jury §eligible persons, defence lawyers, and Crown §prosecutors); seven in-depth interviews with Court §of Queen's Bench Justices; 500 jury eligible §surveys; and a mock scripted murder trial. The data §suggests that jurors assign greater weight to DNA §evidence than they do other types of evidence. §Several recommendations unfolded as a result of this §research: the encouragement for jurors to take §notes, which includes providing jurors with note §books; encouragement by judges to allow written §questions from jurors; recognition of individual §learning styles including providing sworn jurors §with a learning style survey; making the courtroom a §more comfortable learning environment; and the §allowance for real jury research in Canada. The rapid advancement of DNA techniques has turned §courtrooms into scientific forums. The principal aim §of this dissertation, from a Canadian perspective, §was to evalute how judges and jurors interpret, §perceive, and understand DNA evidence. In order to §address this research question, a multi-method §design was adopted consisting of the following: §three separate focus groups (consisting of jury §eligible persons, defence lawyers, and Crown §prosecutors); seven in-depth interviews with Court §of Queen''s Bench Justices; 500 jury eligible §surveys; and a mock scripted murder trial. The data §suggests that jurors assign greater weight to DNA §evidence than they do other types of evidence. §Several recommendations unfolded as a result of this §research: the encouragement for jurors to take §notes, which includes providing jurors with note §books; encouragement by judges to allow written §questions from jurors; recognition of individual §learning styles including providing sworn jurors §with a learning style survey; making the courtroom a §more comfortable learning environment; and the §allowance for real jury research in Canada.