Moa Lidén

Project summary

Evidence in criminal proceedings – reliability and susceptibility to influence

The overall aim of the project is to examine the reliability and susceptibility to influence of two common types of evidence in criminal proceedings: forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony.

 

The project also aims to begin evaluating possible ways of preventing or mitigating the effects of any shortcomings in these respects. Legal professionals routinely make decisions based on forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony, making an understanding of potential sources of error essential, for example, to the robust application of the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. The project therefore addresses fundamental questions of legal certainty and due process.

 

The project will comprise three experimental studies. Studies 1 and 2, involving forensic pathologists and crime scene investigators, will examine reliability by comparing participants’ assessments both with their own previous assessments and with those made by other participants examining the same material – for example, when determining a cause of death.

 

Susceptibility to influence will be tested by manipulating contextual information that is irrelevant to the assessment but often available in real-life situations. Study 3 builds on known limitations in the reliability and susceptibility to influence of eyewitness testimony. It will compare descriptions provided by witnesses with information obtained through forensic DNA phenotyping in order to evaluate whether, and in what ways, this technology can be used in criminal proceedings.