Identification Parade Procedures

Every person in the line-up must be provided with a board containing a distinctive number. The witness must identify the relevant person by mentioning the number on the board around their neck.

The facilities are not always available or in close proximity where an identification parade is conducted.

Walk up and down and inspect every person thoroughly. If the person whom you saw commit the crime is present, please identify him/her by placing your hand on their shoulder or identify the number around the individual’s neck.

The time taken by the witness to point out the person in the lineup, the reaction of the witness, and the comments/reactions of the person being pointed out.

Incidental identification, field identification, spontaneous identification, or show-up identification.

It should take place shortly after the commission of the crime – ideally between ten and twenty minutes.

Two women aged 20 and 22 years entered the Criminal Record Centre at Ga-Rankuwa police station. They stated that they had been robbed of their cell phones, money and jewellery, when they were passing through the passage next to the police station, by two young men. They described the one perpetrator as wearing jeans (blue), a white T-shirt and red cap. They were unable to describe the other perpetrator’s shirt colour, but stated that he carried a school bag on his back and that he was wearing black trousers. They were also able to point in the direction the two perpetrators fled from the scene. The police quickly accompanied the women in a patrol vehicle and whilst driving towards that direction, the women pointed at two men who matched the description. The men tried to flee, but were apprehended and arrested.

Photograph identification is used when the police have a solid suspicion of who committed the crime, but the suspect is not in custody or when a fair identification parade cannot be conducted.

The process for photograph identification includes using similar shaped photographs, depicting individuals with similar basic physical features, not drawing attention to the specific suspect, displaying at least nine photographs to the witness, not showing photographs to multiple witnesses in each other's presence, rearranging the order of photographs after each witness views them, allowing the witness to mark the photograph when making an identification, sealing and retaining all photographs for possible court examination, and not making any suggestion that the suspect's photograph is necessarily among the photographs the witness will view.

An identification parade or live line-up is a direct personal identification technique where a number of persons, including the suspect, are shown to a witness/victim of a crime at the same time, allowing them to identify the person they saw committing the crime.

The most important principle of an identification parade is fairness towards the suspect, which can only be guaranteed if the standard procedures are followed.

The purpose of conducting an identification parade is to link perpetrators to the crime that was committed and to rely on positive identification by victims and/or witnesses.

The standard operating procedures for conducting an identification parade include conducting it as soon as possible, communicating and recording the dates of the parade, having an impartial police official in charge, having at least eight individuals with similar physical appearance in addition to the suspect, explaining the purpose of the proceedings and charges to the suspects, recording all activities on a standardized form, asking suspects if they are satisfied with the composition of the parade, not using individuals who are known to the witness, having the supervisor present at all times, and allowing specific individuals like the suspect's legal representative, an interpreter, a police photographer or video camera operator, and witnesses who are minors to be present.

Suspects should be informed that their refusal to take part in a parade can be presented as evidence against them because the court may draw an adverse inference from such refusal or non-compliance during a possible later criminal trial.

Precautions that should be taken to ensure a fair identification parade include separating witnesses in different venues or keeping them under supervision, recording office numbers and names of officials who guarded over witnesses, recording officials who escorted the witness to the parade, ensuring witnesses do not see the suspect under arrest before the parade, accommodating reasonable requests from suspects, and ensuring that the parade follows the standard operating procedures.