How can I use my Phone to record any incident or crime?

What is the iWitnessed App?

The iWitnessed App is a great locally developed [free to download] technology tool to help collect a contemporaneous record of any incident or crime!

Extracted from the App Store Preview Summary Page:

"iWitnessed helps to collect and preserve eyewitness evidence. It has lots of useful features to help witnesses and victims record the details of the event they experienced.

iWitnessed has been designed by Psychological scientists who are experts in eyewitness memory and police interviewing.

iWitnessed uses a guided recall procedure that has been designed to maximise the value of the information recorded while also helping protect your memory of the event."

Why was the iWitnessed App created?

“Why we made iWitnessed, an app to collect evidence” by Helen M. Paterson [April 2018].

Extracted from the article:

"Eyewitness evidence can be critical to investigations and trials.

However, research shows that eyewitness memory can be inaccurate and vulnerable to distortion depending on what happens next – for example, inaccurate information encountered through leading questions, discussion with other witnesses, or journalists.

This is particularly true when there is a long delay between witnessing an event and reporting the details to police. We forget details very rapidly, and the more we forget, the more our memories become prone to inaccuracies.

Anyone with a device

"iWitnessed is designed to be used by anyone within Australia with a smartphone or tablet, and does not require high levels of literacy or language skills.

Users can type details using their keypad, and record spoken notes – standard voice-to-text functions also work in iWitnessed.

Responses do not need to be in English, allowing witnesses to use their preferred language to give the most accurate and detailed account."

Can iWitnessed evidence be used in court?

"Legally speaking, evidence collected using iWitnessed will be treated like contemporaneous notes.

Contemporaneous notes are witness accounts composed during or immediately after a critical event, and in court proceedings they can range from a note scribbled on the back of a napkin to a meticulous description of the event.

According to the Evidence Act 1995 NSW (sections 32 and 34), contemporaneous notes or contemporaneous recordings of events can be used to refresh the memory of a witness to an event. Even if very rudimentary, they can add to the reliability and strength of the evidence being given in court proceedings.

It is also possible that developments in evidence law may enable evidence collected using iWitnessed to become directly admissible. While there is some legislation on the admissibility of this type of evidence in court, this has not kept pace with the rapid development of modern technologies...".

The iWitnessed App is available for free download on both Apple and Android.

Credits:

The iWitnessed App was developed by a local team of eyewitness memory experts [Helen M. Paterson, Celine van Golde (The University of Sydney), Richard Kemp (UNSW Sydney), Nicholas Cowdery (former Director of Public Prosecution in NSW) and NSW police officers].

Important Notice:

This FAQ is intended for general interest + information only.

It is not legal advice, nor should it be relied upon or used as such.

We recommend you always consult a lawyer for legal advice specifically tailored to your needs & circumstances.