Electronic evidence in criminal proceedings
type: CreativeWork
description: The research question central to the thesis is stated as follows: what are the implications of new technological phenomena in South African law to the existing legal frameworks in relation to (i) investigatory powers of law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies to obtain electronic evidence, and (ii) its subsequent admissibility in criminal proceedings? Written with an emphasis on South African law, but also taking into account aspects of foreign and international law, the thesis seeks to investigate how our existing legal frameworks which regulate the use of and access to electronic evidence in criminal proceedings, including its admissibility, integrate and adapt to challenges raised by new and rapidly changing technological developments. The thesis provides a critical analysis of the existing legal framework regulating certain key investigative powers of law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies in the current modern environment of the information age in which they operate. Key among them is the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act 70 of 2002. New technology has not only increased opportunities for criminal activity, it has also created opportunities for law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies to have access to more sophisticated and new capabilities. The range of intrusive capabilities now available to law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies triggers a range of issues and challenges for individual rights, including how those capabilities are used in investigation activities, the scale of their use, the extent to which such capabilities intrude on privacy rights, legislative authority for their use and safeguards that constrain and regulate such new technological capabilities. The challenges of regulating investigative powers in an era of new and fastpaced technological developments is explored in relation to (i) interception of communications (i…
abstract: The research question central to the thesis is stated as follows: what are the implications of new technological phenomena in South African law to the existing legal frameworks in relation to (i) investigatory powers of law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies to obtain electronic evidence, and (ii) its subsequent admissibility in criminal proceedings? Written with an emphasis on South African law, but also taking into account aspects of foreign and international law, the thesis seeks to investigate how our existing legal frameworks which regulate the use of and access to electronic evidence in criminal proceedings, including its admissibility, integrate and adapt to challenges raised by new and rapidly changing technological developments. The thesis provides a critical analysis of the existing legal framework regulating certain key investigative powers of law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies in the current modern environment of the information age in which they operate. Key among them is the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act 70 of 2002. New technology has not only increased opportunities for criminal activity, it has also created opportunities for law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies to have access to more sophisticated and new capabilities. The range of intrusive capabilities now available to law enforcement and security and intelligence agencies triggers a range of issues and challenges for individual rights, including how those capabilities are used in investigation activities, the scale of their use, the extent to which such capabilities intrude on privacy rights, legislative authority for their use and safeguards that constrain and regulate such new technological capabilities. The challenges of regulating investigative powers in an era of new and fastpaced technological developments is explored in relation to (i) interception of communications (i…
author: Singh, Nerisha
keywords: Public Law
date published: 2020
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:35Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Public Law

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32978