Detecting crimes and achieving criminal justice

Detecting crimes and achieving criminal justice

Since its inception, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been keen to combat crime, develop security competencies, and use modern technology to identify perpetrators and analyze forensic evidence extracted from crime scenes.

Criminal evidence varies and its handling varies depending on the type of crime, the effects left behind by the perpetrator, and the extent of its validity before the competent criminal courts.

What are the stages of a criminal case?

The criminal case goes through several stages:

• The case begins with the stage of reporting, complaining, or catching the accused red-handed in the crime by the competent authorities.
• The stage of collecting preliminary evidence and assigning experts to examine the evidence and remove it from the crime scene.
• Investigation procedures and interrogation of the accused and witnesses begin by the Public Prosecution.
• Based on the results of the investigation, the Public Prosecution decides to dismiss the case or refer it for consideration before the Criminal Court.
• The accused is tried in the case and the Public Prosecution presents evidence and proof. The accused or a criminal lawyer, including the accused, must deny the charge and present defenses within the specified deadlines.
• A criminal case ends either with:
  • The judge’s ruling, whether the ruling is guilty or not.
  • Expiration of the case in certain cases such as statute of limitations, pardon, or death of the accused.

What is criminal proof?

It is the stage of collecting evidence by the Public Prosecution and presenting it before the competent criminal court to prove that the accused committed a specific crime.

The criminal judge reviews the evidence presented, interrogates the accused, takes witness testimonies, verifies their accuracy, and compares them with the rest of the evidence to be able to issue a fair ruling in the case.

What are the types of forensic evidence?

Forensic evidence can be classified into several main categories:

Physical evidence

This is evidence found at a crime scene and includes fingerprints, weapons used in the crime, footprints, hair, DNA, gunshot residue, and more.

Electronic forensics

This is data extracted from electronic devices such as call logs, text messages and emails, videos and audio recordings, online search pages, etc.

anecdotal evidence

These are confessions made by the accused or testimonies of witnesses present at the crime scene.

circumstantial evidence

These are clues that are derived indirectly, as the investigator relies on his intuition and experience in solving crimes, such as the presence of the accused at the crime scene, the existence of a relationship between the accused and the victim, the presence of traces of blood on the accused’s clothes, etc.

What are the types of criminal fingerprints?

• Fingerprint

It is most commonly used to identify suspects in crimes, and is characterized by the fact that it does not recur between people and never changes.

• Genetic fingerprinting DNA

It is used in cases of proving paternity and proving the occurrence of sexual assaults.

• Voiceprint

Used to recognize suspects’ voices in calls and audio recordings.

• Eye print

It is unique, like a fingerprint, it does not resemble or change over time, and is often used in security sites that require identifying a person.

Is fingerprint conclusive evidence in criminal cases?

Is fingerprint conclusive evidence in criminal cases?

Criminal fingerprints accurately reveal the identity of perpetrators. They are conclusive evidence in proving criminal cases, as they contribute to accurately identifying the perpetrator and linking him to the crimes committed.

The following conditions are required for fingerprints to be accepted as legal evidence:

• To be taken in accordance with legal controls.
• Fingerprint analysis by accredited bodies.
• Not to be manipulated.

What is the role of forensic evidence in criminal trials?

The primary role of Saudi forensic evidence is to achieve criminal justice, as forensic evidence helps uncover the circumstances of a crime, how it occurred, and identify criminals.

The judge’s role is to compare all the evidence presented, ensure its validity and the adequacy of the evidence presented to convict or deny the accused, and then issue a ruling accordingly.

What are the most important defenses in criminal cases?

• Invalidity of investigation procedures.
• Coercion.
• Self-defense.
• Loss of cognition or will such as insanity or due to drugs.
• Conflicting statements.
• The claim may not be accepted.
• Lack of sufficient evidence to convict.
• Challenging the justice of witnesses.
• Lack of coherence between the forensic evidence presented.

A criminal lawyer from the office of lawyer Abdul Majeed Al Rashid provides his legal services, including studying and analyzing the criminal case, drafting legal memoranda and defenses, representing the client before investigation committees and competent authorities, attending judicial sessions on behalf of the client, and other services.