Digital Evidence in the Jury Room: The Impact of Mobile Technology on the Jury

Abstract

Wireless technology and mobile devices are transforming the way courts administer justice, with the increasing use of smartphones, iPads and other tablets by practitioners, judges and juries. In the jury room, mobile devices have the potential to simplify the provision and use of information and facilitate more efficient deliberations and overall decision-making. But before such technology can become commonplace in the jury room, courts would benefit from empirical evidence of the impact — positive and/or negative — of providing it to jurors both in terms of efficiency and preserving the fundamental prerequisites of the right of the accused to a fair trial. This article presents the preliminary findings of a project undertaken to examine the impact of tablets on the deliberation process and jury decisions.