“Ocular Proof”: Photographs as Legal Evidence
Abstract
This article traces the rules governing the admissibility of photographs into evidence in the courts of law of Canada, the United States, and Britain. The discussion is grounded in the nineteenth-century discourse of photographic objectivity, and examples of case law and legislation are cited to show the evolving response of the courts. The legal understanding of photographic evidence is examined from the late nineteenth century onward, and the twenty-first-century concerns surrounding the authenticity and admissibility of digital photographs are highlighted.
RÉSUMÉ
Ce texte retrace les règlements qui gouvernent l’admissibilité des photographies en tant que preuves dans les cours de justice au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Grande-Bretagne. L’auteur base son analyse sur le discours de l’objectivité photographique du XIXe siècle, et des exemples de jurisprudence et de législation sont utilisés pour montrer l’évolution de la réponse des tribunaux. Il examine la valeur légale de la preuve photographique à partir de la fin du XIXe siècle jusqu’à présent, en soulignant les préoccupations du XXIe siècle par rapport à l’authenticité et à l’admissibilité de la photographie numérique.
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