STEP 3
Find the Elements of the Crime You Seek To Prove
Option 1
The next step is to figure out what you need to prove. The best option would be to work with a lawyer or
a legal collective that you would like to collaborate with to ensure you have the right information. If this
option is not available, there are a number of ways to figure out the elements of the crime you are trying to
prove even if you don’t have a law degree.
FILMING
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)1 — On the site, search for “Penal Code [NAME
OF COUNTRY]”. Ideally your country’s laws will be right there for instant download in PDF format.
• Google — Try searching “Penal Code [NAME OF COUNTRY]” or “Criminal Code [NAME OF
COUNTRY]” and you will likely find the PDF.
• International Criminal Court (ICC) – For International Criminal Law, visit the elements of a crime
page 2 on the ICC website and chose a language to download a PDF of the elements of a crime.
Once you have the PDF of your country’s penal code, use the “find” function to search the document
for the crime you are interested in learning about (i.e. “murder”, “homicide”, “torture”, “rape”, “assault”,
“discrimination”, etc.). From there, make your bullet pointed list of what you need to prove and add it to your
Collection Plan.
Collaborate
with a
lawyer
Use On-line
resources
Option 2
If you don’t have access to the internet or it’s too dangerous to be online, another
option would be to visit a local library or university. A librarian should be able to
help you find the Penal Code and if you go to a law library, he or she should also
be able to help you find the specific elements of the crimes you plan to document.
Use a Library
Option 3
If the options above don’t work, use your common sense. Recognizing crimes is
instinctual. We all know a violation when we see it. So once you know what crimes
you seek to document, sit down, pretend you are a judge and write down the
specific details you would want the lawyers to prove if you were that judge.
83 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: COLLECTION PLAN V 1.0
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