This legal blog is dedicated to four specific areas of the law and its practical application in the courtroom. It covers relevant law in Canada, the US, and the UK. Reference is also made to international criminal prosecutions.

First, this blog covers many legal and practical issues facing expert witnesses in any field of expertise. Expert witnesses (and expert witnesses in training) will find valuable information here on current legal issues that affect the expert witness world and practical suggestions for being an effective witness in court.

Second, this blog covers the law as it relates to the use video evidence in the courtroom and the role of forensic video analysis. This complex area of the law is continuing to develop and this blog is intended to be a resource for those who work with video evidence. Many legal and practical issues are presented and discussed.

Third, this blog also comments on the use of image-based evidence in international criminal prosecutions. In 2023, I completed a PhD at Leiden University in the Netherlands where I researched the use of non-textual evidence in international criminal prosecutions for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression, which are atrocity crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Though my legal focus was primarily on the ICC and other international criminal tribunals, much of the content applies at the national level as well.

Fourth, the proliferation of AI-generated and other falsified imagery is a developing problem in the search for the truth. Many people and state actors use these images to spread misinformation and disinformation, unconcerned about the truth. We are also seeing some of these images being tendered in court. This is a topic that I am developing on this site.

The mission for this blog is to crystallize my academic work and practical experience in the areas of law and research noted, and to create a resource for those people who work in these fields and who are interested in learning about new and interesting developments.

I will continue to add more foundational topics and address recent case law and trends as they develop.

You will learn more about my background and why I have chosen these topics by reading what I have written in the “About” tab.

I hope that this blog is of benefit to you.

Jonathan W. Hak KC PhD