Here’s a new Research Briefing commissioned by the UK Parliament, bringing a welcome note of caution to the use of Forensic Linguistics and Phonetics evidence across a range of disciplines.
This is an important development, and one we can hope will have resonance here in Australia*.
Just a little unfortunate there is very little specifically on indistinct audio, even though the issues raised by Forensic Phonetics Australia are most definitely applicable in the UK as well. Perhaps another indication of the extent to which handling of covert recordings flies under the radar of phonetic science.
* While the authors of this report have done a great job, no doubt with limited time and resources, if the exercise is replicated in Australia (which it should be), it might be preferable to have the document authored by higher-level experts, on the basis of well-publicised open consultation.