The importance of voice identification in the witness recognition procedure

Abstract

From a theoretical point of view, this paper considers the evidentiary action of recognizing the voice of the perpetrator by the witness. It is the identification of the voice by a person who is usually an "unprofessional listener". Due to the specificity of the voice as an object of recognition, the involvement of forensics (linguists and phoneticians) in the organization and immediate realization of the voice recognition action seems inevitable. Their activity would be manifested in giving guidance to the authority on how to increase the efficiency of voice identification and the accuracy of witness testimony. The witness gives evidence based on his perceptual (auditory) abilities in a procedure prescribed by the law, in which the credibility of his/her testimony is simultaneously checked and assessed. The Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Serbia establishes the legal framework for taking the voice recognition action, while the content of performing the direct recognition action is determined by the criminal-tactical rules.

U radu se sa teorijskog aspekta razmatra dokazna radnja prepoznavanja glasa učinioca krivičnog dela od strane svedoka. Reč je o identifikaciji glasa od strane lica koje je najčešće "neprofesionalni slušalac". Usled specifičnosti glasa kao objekta prepoznavanja, uključenost forenzičara (lingviste i fonetičara) u organizaciju i neposrednu realizaciju radnje prepoznavanja glasa čini se neizbežnim. Njihova aktivnost ogledala bi se u davanju smernica organu postupka kako da se poveća efikasnost identifikacije glasa i tačnosti iskaza svedoka. Svedok daje iskaz na osnovu perceptivnih (slušnih) sposobnosti u zakonom propisanom postupku u kojem se istovremeno proverava i ocenjuje verodostojnost njegovog iskaza. Zakonikom o krivičnom postupku Republike Srbije utvrđen je pravni okvir preduzimanja radnje prepoznavanja glasa, dok je sadržina vršenja neposredne radnje prepoznavanja određena kriminalističko-taktičkim pravilima.