eprintid: 10193901
rev_number: 12
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/19/39/01
datestamp: 2024-10-17 10:59:26
lastmod: 2024-10-17 10:59:26
status_changed: 2024-10-17 10:59:26
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Zhang, Aolan
title: Investigating the uses of mobile phone evidence through criminal
justice process: an anatomy of front-line investigation in China
ispublished: unpub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B04
divisions: C05
divisions: F52
note: Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).  Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms.  Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
abstract: As the amount of human activity conducted in digital environments grows, change in the traceability of these activities is a challenge for the criminal justice system. There is a paucity of research addressing the interpretation of digital traces: it remains unknown to what extent information from traces can be interpreted robustly and used to deliver justice.
This PhD thesis considers the application of mobile phone evidence (data) in China, a research context that has received relatively little focus in forensic science and policing studies. This thesis intends to identify the challenges in collating mobile phone evidence and barriers to the exploitation of information contained in these data. This research employs quantitative analysis of evidence uses in 1900 criminal proceedings from 2013-2018 and a framework approach to analyse interviews with 34 police officers and prosecutors.
This thesis identifies a gap between the expected intelligence value of mobile phone data and the limited probative value of mobile phone evidence. Only 3.3% of criminal proceedings include mobile phone evidence, which only had a direct influence on the final verdict in less than 20% of these cases. Yet, exploiting available mobile phone data is regarded as a necessary procedure for police officers. Findings suggest that the fundamental reason for this gap lies in a ‘law-framed’ reasoning processes through which intelligence gleaned from mobile phone data is used for supporting decisions in investigations. 
This thesis suggests that, when it comes to the procurement of technical support, interpreting evidence within the legal framework should serve as the cornerstone of proposed policies.  Meanwhile, use of mobile phone evidence requires knowledge bridging connections between digital traces and suspects’ online and offline behaviours. Lack of this knowledge is identified as key barrier for investigators handling cyber-related crimes.
date: 2024-06-28
date_type: published
full_text_type: other
thesis_class: doctoral_embargoed
thesis_award: Ph.D
language: eng
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2290720
lyricists_name: Zhang, Aolan
lyricists_id: AZHAN74
actors_name: Zhang, Aolan
actors_id: AZHAN74
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: restricted
pages: 362
institution: UCL(University College London)
department: Security and Crime Science
thesis_type: Doctoral
citation:        Zhang, Aolan;      (2024)    Investigating the uses of mobile phone evidence through criminal justice process: an anatomy of front-line investigation in China.                   Doctoral thesis  (Ph.D), UCL(University College London).    
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10193901/2/Aolan%20Zhang-18047044-PhD%20thesis.pdf