Psychology and Law

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date discussion of contemporary debates at the interface between psychology and criminal law. The topics surveyed include critiques of eyewitness testimony; the jury; sentencing as a human process; the psychologist as expert witness; persuasion in the courtroom; detecting deception; and psychology and the police. Kapardis draws on sources from Europe, North America and Australia to provide an expert investigation of the subjectivity and human fallibility inherent in our system of justice. He also provides suggestions for minimising undesirable influences on crucial judicial decision-making. International in its scope and broad-ranging in its research, this book is the authoritative work on psycho-legal enquiry for students and professionals in psychology, law, criminology, social work and law enforcement.

• Provides up-to-date, comprehensive literature review • Topics approached from the perspective of contemporary psychology, law, criminology, and policing • Each chapter includes an overview and conclusions - ideal for students

1. Psycholegal research: an introduction; 2. Eyewitness testimony: legal, methodological, cognitive aspects and event characteristics; 3. Eyewitness testimony: witness, perpetrator and interrogational variables; 4. Children as witnesses; 5. The jury; 6. Sentencing as a human process; 7. The psychologist as expert witness; 8. Persuasion in the courtroom; 9. Detecting deception; 10. Witness recognition procedures; 11. Psychology and the police; 12. Conclusions.

‘One of the most striking features of this text is the inherent comprehensibility … providing a good summary of the key issues in psychology and law, this book would make excellent supplementary reading for any forensic psychology or psychology and law course.’ The Psychologist

‘For those whose interests and/or work involve them in the operation of the criminal law, this book contains a thorough and objective review of psychological research into issues commonly encountered … it provides suggestions for the future for legal psychology to benefit the development of criminal law. it will undoubtedly contribute to the knowledge of those who take the time to study it.’ The Queensland Lawyer

‘I found Kapardis‘ approach very refreshing. … The book has a strong international feel … I would definitely recommend this book to students studying legal psychology as well as criminology. In my opinion, it is also worth having on the shelf if you are a chartered psychologist working in some capacity with the courts.‘ The British Journal of Forensic Practice