The ‘IVIP’ Project: An Argument for the Inclusion of Voice Parades within Code D of PACE

This paper reviews the law and practice in relation to earwitness voice identification procedures in England and Wales. It also draws on results from two surveys, one aimed at police and the other aimed at lawyers, which reveal a marked lack of awareness of earwitness voice identification procedures, given they are rarely used. The central thesis of the paper is that practice in this area could be significantly improved by placing voice identification parades within the scope of Code D of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The article further draws on experimental work conducted as part of the IVIP project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council, which contributes empirical findings towards improving voice parade procedures to make their deployment more efficient and less costly.