Computer Forensic Expert Witness

Duncan Campbell, BA (Oxon), FRSA

1. I am a registered expert witness on electronics, computers, and telecommunications.  I have provided expert evidence on scientific and technical forensic matters generally concerned with computers, communications, electronics and electronic equipment in over 150 serious criminal cases since 1979. I have given expert evidence in Crown Courts,

Magistrates Courts, in the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court and in the Court of Appeal. I am registered on the Law Society Expert Witness Register and shown as “checked”.

2. I was educated in Dundee, Scotland.  I received a First Class Honours degree in Physics from Oxford University in 1973.  I further trained in Operations Research at the University of Sussex, Brighton during 1974.  I have been an author, journalist and consultant since 1975.  From 1976 to 1982, I was a consultant on Telecommunications to the Technology Faculty of the Open University and in that capacity wrote a textbook on “The British Telephone System” for the University’s Systems Behaviour course (T241).  I have written and researched widely on telecommunications and information technology matters.  I am a member of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP).

4. I was first trained in computer programming in 1968 at age 16.  I was taught computer languages and undertook programming in scientific computer languages while at secondary school and attending Oxford University.  I have programmed computers in support of my primary activities from 1975 to date. Since 2003 I have carried out computer and computer-based research and forensic investigations as an expert witness.  I have also designed specialised computer procedures supporting forensic investigations of digital evidence.  I teach computer-based research methods (sometimes called “Computer Assisted Research” (CAR)) as a Visiting Fellow of Bournemouth University and at universities and courses internationally.  I first worked as a telecommunications consultant in 1975.  I first acted as an expert witness in criminal cases in 1979.

 3. In 1998, I was appointed a consultant to the Scientific and Technological Options Assessment (STOA) office of the European Parliament and asked to prepare a report on communications security.  The European Parliament published my report, “Interception Capabilities 2000”, in April 1999.  In January 2001, I provided three further reports on Communications Intelligence to the EP Temporary Committee on the ECHELON interception system.  From October 1999 to June 2000, I was a senior research fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Washington DC.  I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

4. I regularly lecture to British and overseas universities and have been asked to speak on electronic intelligence and security matters to the Joints Select Committee in the House of Commons (UK), the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag (Germany) and to Committees of the Diet (Japan), the Swedish, Danish and Dutch parliaments; and to the intelligence supervisory committee of the Belgian government.  I have lectured annually at the International Security Co-operation and other training courses for international military and diplomatic staff conducted by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.  I have lectured internationally on telecommunications at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications, Paris; the Volksbuhne, Berlin; and the Technology University of Belfort-Montbelliard.

5. In the field of computer forensic evidence, I have often received instructions to act in terrorism cases and in cases of making or possessing indecent images of children.   Major terrorism cases in which I have been instructed include R v Bourgass (the “ricin trial”), R v Rowe, R v Khyam and others (“the fertiliser plot”) R v Akbar, R v Yahya (21 July attempted London bombings), R v Shaffi, R v Zafar, R v Al-Daour (“Irhabi/Terrorist 007”), R v Abu Hamza, R v Nassari, R v Siddique (Scotland), R v Al Faqih, R v Feroze, R v Gulzar (alleged airline bombing conspiracy), R v Patel, R v Ditta, R v Siddiqui, R v Yusuf, R v Sulieman, and R v Elasmar.

6. In matters involving indecent images of children, I have provided evidence or reports in more than 30 cases connected to Operation Ore, and have published articles concerning evidence and methods used in the operation.
 

List of reported Judgments citing expert evidence 

2. R v Winters [2008] EWCA Crim 2953; [2008] WLR (D) 387

3. R v Breton [2008] EWCA Crim 2935

4. Clifford v Herts [2008] EWHC 2549

5. Liberty v UK  ECHR no 58243/00,

6. Clifford v Herts [2008] EWHC 3154  
 
7. R v Iqbal [2009] EWCA Crim 1627

8. R v Austin & ors, Supreme Court [2009] EWCA Crim 1527

9. Clifford v Herts [2009] EWCA Civ 397

10. Clifford v Herts  [2009] EWCA Civ 1259
 

List of cases