Working with Monash
Trials fascinate us because they revolve around a single, powerful question — innocent or guilty. But beyond that, trials offer a window into the societies that produce them. This digital history project focuses on the Amboyna Conspiracy Trial of 1623, a pivotal legal case from the early modern period. In it, Dutch authorities accused a group of English merchants and Japanese mercenaries of conspiring to seize a Dutch East India Company castle on a remote island in what is now Indonesia.
I led the web design and implementation for the project, including the creation of the “What’s Your Verdict” trial engine. This interactive feature was inspired by the narrative structure of the Serial podcast, presenting new layers of evidence over time to reflect the uncertainty and tension of real trials — encouraging users to weigh the case for themselves before reaching a conclusion.
Filmed in Heidelberg, Germany during an international conference, the project was a collaboration between two international institutions and benefited from the insights of a British legal expert. It was honored with the Australian State Library’s Digital History Prize for its innovative approach to public history.
