Analysis of Expert Evidence in Terrorism Prosecutions
The data presented highlights statistics on resolved terrorism prosecutions, including conviction rates, gender proportions, involvement of experts, categories of expert evidence, and the treatment of experts by judges. The analysis includes details on the types of expert evidence used, appearances of experts by category, and when experts typically appear in various stages of prosecutions.
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Expert Evidence in Terrorism Prosecutions Dr. Michael Nesbitt University of Calgary Faculty of Law
There are 44 resolved terrorism prosecutions. 11 prosecutions resulted in stays. 15 prosecutions resulted in guilty pleas. 13 resulted in guilty verdicts. 5 prosecutions resulted in acquittals.
Terrorism prosecutions by the numbers: The conviction rate for terrorism prosecutions (28 out of 44 convicted). The average conviction rate is 63%. 64% The proportion of female accused (4 out of 44). The proportion for all crimes is 20%. 9% The number of prosecutions for offences that were not preparatory/inchoate. 2 The number of individuals who were not affiliated with Islamic extremism. 1
48% of terrorism prosecutions involved experts: 3 out of 11 stays. 4 out of 15 guilty pleas. 10 out of 13 guilty verdicts. 4 out of 5 acquittals.
Four categories of expert evidence: NCR assessments, fitness assessments & sentencing reports. 1. Psychiatry & Psychology Authenticating electronic evidence & proving explosive offences (e.g., ss.81 82). 2. Technical Proving an act, activity or group satisfies the def n of a terrorist activity or a terrorist group (s. 83.01(1)). 3. Social Science Proving the armed conflict exception to terrorist activity (s.83.01(1)). 4. Judicial Notice* (*substitute for expert evidence)
30 experts made 41 appearances. The number experts by category* is: 13 Psychiatry & Psychology 10 Social Science 7 Technical *.Excludes judicial notice & reading ..in expert evidence.
When are experts appearing in prosecutions? Sentencing Pre - Trial Trial 0 0 0 0 0 7 Crown Experts 4 1 5 2 4 2 0 11 1 Defense Experts 0 1 0 Note: 1 social science expert appeared for the defence at an entrapment application following trial. Psychology Social Science Technical
How are judges treating experts? Positive Mixed Negative 0 1 0 4 0 0 Crown Experts 1 5 0 6 1 1 0 6 4 Defense Experts 0 0 1 Psychology Social Science Technical
Findings & Forthcoming Issues Findings: More Crown experts pre-verdict; lots of defence psychiatric experts. Use of experts in approximately half (50%) of all trials. Debates about social science expertise (though courts tend to accept) and experts at sentencing phase (complete split in treatment). Forthcoming issues: Equality of arms? Costs of experts, access, & knowledge of who to contact? Intervenors / amici (or lack thereof)? Appellate review of expert testimony? Psychiatric review?
Table of experts in terrorism trials: Accused Shareef Abdelhaleem Fahim Ahmad Misbahuddin Ahmed Name of Expert Dr. Hy Bloom Dr. Julian Gojer Dr. Wagdy Loza Dr. Sean Maloney Dr. Philip Klassen Dr. Gary Chaimowitz Dr. Arif Syed Dr. Julian Gojer Donna Garbutt Sgt. Sylvain Fiset Dr. Julian Gojer Cst. Tarek Mokdad Sgt. Sylvain Fiset Dr. Lisa Ramshaw Dr. Philip Klassen Dr. Lisa Ramshaw Dr. Steven Cohen Cst. Tarek Mokdad Mohammad Navaid Aziz Cst. Robin Shook Kevin Ripa Matthew Bryden Abdi Aynte Dr. Barbara Perry Cst. Tarek Mokdad Sgt. Sylvain Fiset Dr. Jess Ghannam Dr. Vinesh Gupta Dr. Ann Marie Dewhurst Donna Garbutt Sgt. Sylvain Fiset Dr. Lisa Ramshaw Mohammed Fadel Sgt. Sylvain Fiset Cst. Peter Cucheran Dr. Omid Safi Cst. Tarek Mokdad Claude Emmanuelli Martin Desormeaux Dr. Rita Katz Dr. Reuven Paz Cst. Peter Cucheran Dr. Omid Safi Dr. Julian Gojer Mr. Heft Def or Crown D D D C D D D D C C D C C Amicus Amicus D D C D C D C D D C C D D D C C D D C C D C C C C C C D D D Class Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Social Science Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Technical Technical Psychiatry/Psychology Social Science Technical Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Social Science Social Science Technical Technical Social Science Social Science Social Science Social Science Technical Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Technical Technical Psychiatry/Psychology Social Science Technical Technical Social Science Social Science Law Stage of Proceedings Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Trial Trial Trial Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Trial Trial Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Trial Trial Pre-Trial Pre-Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Sentencing Pre-Trial Pre-Trial Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Sentencing Trial Trial Entrapment Application Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Entrapment Application Sentencing Sentencing Relied On Yes No In part Unknown Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No N/A N/A No In part Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Unknown Unknown No Unknown Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Yes Yes Ayanle Hassan Ali Zakaria Amara Steven Vikash Chand Sabrine Djermane Chibeb Esseghaier Saad Gaya Othman Ayed Hamdan Mohammed Hassan Hersi El Mahdi Jamali Raed Jaser JR (Alberta Youth) Saad Khalid Momin Khawaja Amanda Korody Quebec Youth (LSJPA) Said Namouh Social Science Social Science Technical Social Science Psychiatry/Psychology Psychiatry/Psychology Yes Yes Unknown Yes ? ? John Stuart Nuttall Nishathan Yogakrishnan
