WJEC Level 3 Diploma in Criminology
Unit 3, AC: 3.1
Model Write-up
Mark: 15/15
AC 3.1: Examine information for validity
What you have to do:
- 15 marks
- Examine information sources for validity, make 6 subheadings:
1) Evidence
2) Judgements
3) Media reports
4) Trial transcripts
5) Law reports
6) Assignment brief (AB)
- You don’t need to talk about all 5, can be 4, but must make reference to the
brief
- Must use buzzwords for explaining validity: BOCCA (bias, opinion, currency,
circumstance, accuracy), then come to a conclusion about how valid the
information source is
- Case studies must be used to illustrate validity - at least one case study for
each info source, excluding the AB
- For the AB, pick out instances where there are issues with the validity of the
evidence
, 1) Evidence
In order to be considered in a trial, the CPS has specific requirements for the evidence
presented. Firstly, the evidence must be admissible, meaning that certain types of evidence
such as hearsay or confessions obtained through threats will not be considered valid by the
court. Secondly, the evidence must be reliable, which involves assessing its accuracy. This
includes evaluating the honesty and character of witnesses, as well as determining the
authenticity of documents and whether they are genuine or forged. Lastly, the evidence must
be credible, taking into account the circumstances surrounding it. Even if a witness is
deemed honest, it is important to consider if they could have truly seen and understood what
they claim to have witnessed. Although the fact that the prosecution's evidence must
convince the CPS suggests its validity, it is not guaranteed. During cross-examination, the
defence may be able to expose shortcomings or inconsistencies in a witness's testimony. An
example that highlights the importance of these requirements is the case of Jeremy Bamber,
who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of five members of his adoptive
family. However, there were several issues within this case. For instance, the police logs that
led to Bamber's arrest were not utilised during his trial. These logs could have potentially
proven his innocence, as they indicated movement inside his house while the police were
speaking to him outside. This raises concerns of bias, as the inclusion of the police logs
could have weakened the prosecution's case. Another bias-related issue is the discovery of
the gun's silencer by Bamber's cousin. The significance lies in the fact that if Bamber had
been convicted, his cousin would have inherited the estate. Therefore, this is an issue of
bias in the case as the cousin may have wanted Bamber to be convicted in order to claim
inheritance of the estate, so the silencer may not be an accurate piece of evidence as it
could have been planted. This raises issues of the accuracy of the evidence found in this
case, as well. There were issues of personal opinion which also affected Bamber's case and
potentially led to his conviction. For example, his ex-girlfriend (who Bamber cheated on) told
the police that he once mentioned to her hiring a hitman to kill his family. There are serious
issues with how accurate this claim is, as it could just be an attempt for Bamber's
ex-girlfriend to get him convicted as revenge for being cheated on, and not actually a true
piece of evidence which proves Bamber's guilt. Bamber's case also faced issues of accuracy
from the detectives on scene on the night of the murder, who said that the police logs were
inaccurate. Key information might have been missed or the wrong information could have
been written down and used in court. This is an issue because if used in court it would not
only be negatively affecting the outcome of Bamber's trial but also is inadmissible as it lacks
reliability. Another issue regarding accuracy is the fact that there were scratch marks later
found on the silencer that were not made on the night of the murder. Not only does this
highlight a contamination of evidence and therefore deeming it inadmissible, but also the
idea that perhaps Bamber is innocent and is being framed to look like he is the killer,
creating more confusion within the case. In regards to circumstance, there were pieces of
evidence that suggest potential contamination. For example, there were two pictures taken
of Bamber's sister Sheila; however, her hands are placed differently in both pictures, which
would lead to this piece of evidence being inadmissible due to potential contamination. As
well as this, the gun used to kill the family members was moved in the crime scene, creating
further contamination and a lack of accurate, fresh evidence which could serve as useful in
court. Finally, there were many pieces of evidence in regards to Bamber’s case which lacked
currency, such as the fact that the police did not find the silencer until a few weeks after. The
silencer which was used with the gun to kill Bamber’s family is important evidence and so
the fact that it has been potentially contaminated in the time police found it, means it too,
Unit 3, AC: 3.1
Model Write-up
Mark: 15/15
AC 3.1: Examine information for validity
What you have to do:
- 15 marks
- Examine information sources for validity, make 6 subheadings:
1) Evidence
2) Judgements
3) Media reports
4) Trial transcripts
5) Law reports
6) Assignment brief (AB)
- You don’t need to talk about all 5, can be 4, but must make reference to the
brief
- Must use buzzwords for explaining validity: BOCCA (bias, opinion, currency,
circumstance, accuracy), then come to a conclusion about how valid the
information source is
- Case studies must be used to illustrate validity - at least one case study for
each info source, excluding the AB
- For the AB, pick out instances where there are issues with the validity of the
evidence
, 1) Evidence
In order to be considered in a trial, the CPS has specific requirements for the evidence
presented. Firstly, the evidence must be admissible, meaning that certain types of evidence
such as hearsay or confessions obtained through threats will not be considered valid by the
court. Secondly, the evidence must be reliable, which involves assessing its accuracy. This
includes evaluating the honesty and character of witnesses, as well as determining the
authenticity of documents and whether they are genuine or forged. Lastly, the evidence must
be credible, taking into account the circumstances surrounding it. Even if a witness is
deemed honest, it is important to consider if they could have truly seen and understood what
they claim to have witnessed. Although the fact that the prosecution's evidence must
convince the CPS suggests its validity, it is not guaranteed. During cross-examination, the
defence may be able to expose shortcomings or inconsistencies in a witness's testimony. An
example that highlights the importance of these requirements is the case of Jeremy Bamber,
who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of five members of his adoptive
family. However, there were several issues within this case. For instance, the police logs that
led to Bamber's arrest were not utilised during his trial. These logs could have potentially
proven his innocence, as they indicated movement inside his house while the police were
speaking to him outside. This raises concerns of bias, as the inclusion of the police logs
could have weakened the prosecution's case. Another bias-related issue is the discovery of
the gun's silencer by Bamber's cousin. The significance lies in the fact that if Bamber had
been convicted, his cousin would have inherited the estate. Therefore, this is an issue of
bias in the case as the cousin may have wanted Bamber to be convicted in order to claim
inheritance of the estate, so the silencer may not be an accurate piece of evidence as it
could have been planted. This raises issues of the accuracy of the evidence found in this
case, as well. There were issues of personal opinion which also affected Bamber's case and
potentially led to his conviction. For example, his ex-girlfriend (who Bamber cheated on) told
the police that he once mentioned to her hiring a hitman to kill his family. There are serious
issues with how accurate this claim is, as it could just be an attempt for Bamber's
ex-girlfriend to get him convicted as revenge for being cheated on, and not actually a true
piece of evidence which proves Bamber's guilt. Bamber's case also faced issues of accuracy
from the detectives on scene on the night of the murder, who said that the police logs were
inaccurate. Key information might have been missed or the wrong information could have
been written down and used in court. This is an issue because if used in court it would not
only be negatively affecting the outcome of Bamber's trial but also is inadmissible as it lacks
reliability. Another issue regarding accuracy is the fact that there were scratch marks later
found on the silencer that were not made on the night of the murder. Not only does this
highlight a contamination of evidence and therefore deeming it inadmissible, but also the
idea that perhaps Bamber is innocent and is being framed to look like he is the killer,
creating more confusion within the case. In regards to circumstance, there were pieces of
evidence that suggest potential contamination. For example, there were two pictures taken
of Bamber's sister Sheila; however, her hands are placed differently in both pictures, which
would lead to this piece of evidence being inadmissible due to potential contamination. As
well as this, the gun used to kill the family members was moved in the crime scene, creating
further contamination and a lack of accurate, fresh evidence which could serve as useful in
court. Finally, there were many pieces of evidence in regards to Bamber’s case which lacked
currency, such as the fact that the police did not find the silencer until a few weeks after. The
silencer which was used with the gun to kill Bamber’s family is important evidence and so
the fact that it has been potentially contaminated in the time police found it, means it too,
