New technologies and the magistrates: interactions, mediations and ambivalences

Investigador Responsável: Helena Cristina Ferreira Machado

Equipa de Investigação: Susana Manuela Ribeiro Dias da Silva (Assistente de Investigação)

Entidade Financiadora: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Objetivos: We will use a qualitative methodology, drawing on two main research techniques: 1) direct observation of trials, at two courts, holding different characteristics in order to make comparisons 2) making of semi-structured interviews to magistrates, in different courts all over the country. The application of those techniques will follow the “grounded theory” (Corbin and Strauss, 1991) main procedures, namely by the use of a theoretical sampling, until the study has reached a “saturation point”.

Resultados: The execution of this research project will allow examining thoroughly the Portuguese magistrates’ practices and representations towards the following areas: 1) possible transformation at the level of the daily judiciary practices caused by the the use of personal computers’ tools, hence at the magistrates’ dispose, such as word processor, e-mail and Internet; 2) the impact caused by the use of DNA profiling as pieces of evidence on judicial investigation and decision making; 3) changes on trial’s social interactions, namely with the virtual presence of testimonies created by the use of video conference; 4) the perceptions about the possible impacts on citizen’s rights raised by the creation of information systems containing personal data. This project will allow an original contribution to scientific knowledge on the intersection of social legal studies and social studies of science and technology.

Duração: 2003-2006