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‘It’s a theatre and we’re pawns’: taking the stand as an expert witness
The Guardian UK
Thursday 29 October 2026, 05:00 UTC
By Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Joshan Chana, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Madeleine Finlay
1 min read
Key Points
As one of the world’s leading forensic anthropologists, Dame Sue Black has acted as an expert witness in a myriad of high-profile criminal cases. Her work has taken her from the lab to active war zones and the aftermath of natural disasters to identify victims’ bodies. Speaking to Ian Sample, the professor explains why standing up in front of a judge and jury has been one of the more terrifying parts of her career, the reputational risk of presenting evidence in court and what the future of...
As one of the world’s leading forensic anthropologists, Dame Sue Black has acted as an expert witness in a myriad of high-profile criminal cases. Her work has taken her from the lab to active war zones and the aftermath of natural disasters to identify victims’ bodies. Speaking to Ian Sample, the professor explains why standing up in front of a judge and jury has been one of the more terrifying parts of her career, the reputational risk of presenting evidence in court and what the future of forensic science could look like
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Originally published by The Guardian UK
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