PSY3034 Psychology

1
PSY3204 Psychology Law

• Introduction

2
PSY3204 Psychology Law

• Recommended texts
• Howitt, (2002) Forensic Criminal Psychology.
  Prentice-Hall Harlow.
• Memon, Vrij Bull (2003) Psychology Law.
  Wiley Chichester.
• McEwan (2003) The Verdict of the Court. Hart
  Oxford.
• Innes (2003) Understanding Social Control. OUP
  Maidenhead

3
PSY3204 Psychology Law

• Introduction
• Rule Breaking
• The criminal personality
• Testimony
• Jury decision-making
• Visit to Exeter Crown Court
• Policing and Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Crime and gender
• Reform of the Legal System

4
What relevance has crime to Psychology?
Sociological approach
Developmental approach
Learning and social learning
Biological and evolutionary
Cognitive
Trait and Type approaches
5
PSY3204 Psychology Law

• Decision to commit a crime
• Decision to report crime by victim or witness
• Decision by police to investigate crime
• Decision to prosecute offender
• Organisation of evidence
• Presentation of evidence in court
• Judicial and jury decision-making
• Sentencing decisions

6
Criminal Justice System (England Wales)

• Based on unwritten constitution defined by
• Magna Carta (1215 AD)
• Bill of Rights (1688 AD)
• Act of Settlement (1700 AD)
• Adversarial legal system
• Prosecution must disclose relevant information to
  defence
• Defence may keep certain evidence confidential
  until trial

7
Criminal Justice System (England Wales)

• Common Law system
• Evolves according to decisions made in individual
  cases
• Originates in 5th century
• Formalised after 1066AD Norman invasion
• Judicial circuits
• Circuit Judge system still in place today
• Dissemination of decisions crucial to system
• First Law Reports published and circulated in
  1283

8
Social Contract

• Government agrees to establish laws and
  regulations that are just and fair and to ensure
  that population abide by these rules
• Control crime using enforcement, imposition of
  penalties etc.
• Populace agree to abide by law, not to take law
  into own hands etc.
• If popular perception is that contract is broken,
  anarchy may result (e.g. Poll Tax riots, civil
  disobedience arising from Council Tax increases,
  hunting ban)
• Perceptions of fairness, legitimacy depend on a
  range of factors

9
Recorded Crime 1918-2000
17 fall
17 fall
5.5 growth rate
10
Who commits crime?

• Who has committed a crime?
• Opportunity
• 26 of active offenders (or 2 of population)
  commit approximately 82 of offences (BCJS, 2003)
• Recidivism
• Real criminals

11
Attrition within the Criminal Justice System
12
Prevalence Rates for offending in Five Countries
()