ABE Guidance
Definition
Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings, the UK guidance framework published by the Ministry of Justice governing how investigators should conduct interviews with witnesses, including witnesses to fire events, to maximise the reliability and admissibility of the evidence obtained.
- Full name
- Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Publisher
- Ministry of Justice
- Scope
- Witness interview conduct
Common questions
Why does fire investigation guidance reference ABE, which is a general interview framework?+
Witness accounts of a fire's development, such as smoke colour, flame behaviour, or timing, are frequently critical evidence, so interviews with fire witnesses fall under the same ABE requirements as any other criminal witness interview.
What does ABE guidance actually cover?+
It sets out how investigators should plan an interview, question a witness, and record the account, all aimed at producing evidence that holds up as reliable and admissible in court.
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