3C.6 Summary

The law in relation to computer related crime analyzed above is a discreet field within the criminal law. While its application and interpretation are becoming more sophisticated as technology develops, it is clear that it is digital evidence that has the wider scope of application to traditional criminal offenses. Indeed, digital evidence may be adduced in any type of criminal proceeding. Where before handwritten lists or diary entries may have been the vital link between a perpetrator and a crime (be it armed robbery, murder, etc.), now such vital evidence is more likely to be discovered on a perpetrator's personal computer, mobile telephone, or electronic organizer. Where before eye-witness evidence may have been required to secure a conviction, now security camera footage or till-roll evidence will act as proof. It may not be an exaggeration to suggest that the survival of the criminal justice system rests with the requisite expertise of individuals in anticipating, collecting and presenting computer-generated evidence.