The so-called “CSI effect” refers to the various ways in which modern crime television shows, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its spin-offs, which wildly exaggerate and glamorise forensic science, affect criminal trials.  Is the CSI effect real and, if so, what are its implications for those involved in the criminal justice system?

Elizabeth Hollingworth studied law at the Universities of Western Australia and Oxford, and human bioethics at Monash University.  After working as a solicitor for about 4 years, she joined the Victorian Bar in 1991.  She was appointed senior counsel in 2002.  A judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria since 2004, she has sat in a broad range of civil and criminal trials and appeals.  She is a current or past member of various bodies, including the International Commission of Jurists, the Forensic Leave Panel, the Council of Legal Education and the Legal Profession Tribunal.  A senior fellow at the University of Melbourne, she has taught in the JD and LLM programs.  She has also taught advocacy and judgment writing in Australia and overseas.