Executive Director Craig Macaulay discusses a recent
case where the metadata of a photo proved to be a vital piece of
evidence in shaping the outcome of the case.
A picture says a thousand words. Well not exactly, but it can
say enough to help uncover the truth. And in this case, it's
the tale of a sunken ship.
In an interesting England and Wales High Court case1
(Kairos), the metadata, the information that sits behind an
electronic document, in this instance a photo, proved to be a vital
piece of evidence in shaping the outcome of the case.
Background
Kairos owned a ship called the Atlantik Confidence, a geared
bulk carrier ship which caught fire and sunk in 2013.
The case was about the limitation of the ship owner's
liability for the cargo on board. This limitation was in force
unless it was proven "that the loss resulted from his
[ship owner's] personal act or omission, committed with the
intent to cause such loss." It was alleged that there was
a
