Quick search:

Who to     contact   Organizing Committees     Topic     Convenors People and contacts List of delegates    Our       sponsors

Conference   venue    Advice for  participants    Useful    information List of deadlines    Other    Brazilian conferences

Registration   details   Accommod-   ation     Local     tours

Conference   theme      Keynote       speakers       *  Main  *       * topics *    Contributed   papers     Posters   Special interest groups Special sessions Administrative meetings

Timetable outline Programme details Monday's programme Tuesday's programme Wednesday's programme Thursday's programme Friday's programme

Notes for participants and authors Guidelines for authors & organizers Announce-   ments

This paper is from Session 8B: Statistics and the law

which comes under Topic 8: Other determinants & developments in Statistics education             Full topic list

(Monday 3rd, 14:00-15:30)

Statistics in court: the ultimate communication challenge

Presenter

• Janet Chaseling (Australia)

Abstract

Statistical teachers and consultants must target their explanations to meet the level of their audience. When statistics are placed within a legal court setting, three audiences must be addressed; the barrister, the judge and the jury. In the adversarial system the statistical expert will present evidence in chief and then be subjected to cross examination. In a pre-trial (voir dire) a judge will determine whether or not he will allow evidence to be presented before the jury; he/she may consider it to be too confusing for his/her jury or he may be concerned at the prejudicial weight of small probabilities. Drawing on real experiences, suggestions are made of how teaching and communication in a court setting can best be implemented. Reference is also made to the different models of deliberation practised by jurors.