Eyewitness Evidence Under Review
Could your memory send someone to prison? New Zealand’s Criminal Cases Review Commission is calling for stronger safeguards around eyewitness identification, warning that mistaken identifications remain a leading cause of wrongful convictions. The Commission says nearly one in five applications it has received has raised concerns about eyewitness evidence and is urging changes to the Evidence Act 2006 to improve reliability and reduce the risk of miscarriages of justice.
The recommendations build on lessons from high-profile wrongful conviction cases and aim to strengthen confidence in New Zealand’s justice system.
Sources
- RNZ: Criminal Cases Review Commission calls for tighter laws on eyewitness evidence – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/835971/criminal-cases-review-commission-calls-for-tighter-laws-on-eyewitness-evidence
- New Zealand Ministry of Justice – Criminal Cases Review Commission
- New Zealand Law Commission – Third Review of the Evidence Act 2006
- New Zealand Legislation – Criminal Cases Review Commission Act 2019
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