Offender
Profiling Series: Vol 2
Profiling
in Policy and Practice
Edited by David Canter & Laurence Alison (1999)
back to Profiling
in Policy and Practice
Profiling in Policy and Practice
Kathleen Cox
Psychologists as Expert Witnesses
This chapter focuses on the role of psychologists
in legal cases as expert witnesses. The case for using expert witnesses
in court is explored, giving definitions of who the expert witness is
and what they do. The development of the role of the psychologist as
an expert witness is discussed highlighting the forms this can take,
from submitting reports for the court, examining reports made by other
psychologists or interpreting existing research in a form useful in
the court. Examples of cases are given in which psychologists have been
used, particularly in cases where the intelligence or ability of the
accused was in question. Further examples of cases in which children
are involved and need to be interviewed, and how psychologists have
adapted this process for their benefit are also shown. The chapter closes
by giving an insight into how courts and solicitors can operate and
particularly how this can discourage psychologists acting as expert
witnesses, such as being personally discredited to detract credibility
from their professional judgements.
Kathleen Cox is
a Chartered Psychologist with over thirty year's experience. She trained
as a clinical psychologist in the NHS, worked for the British Army in
Germany, worked on an employee assistance programme in the civil service
and was senior educational psychologist for the secondary sector in
a large metropolitan borough. She is now in private practice and a partner
in Cox Associates a group of chartered psychologists who write psychological
reports for legal purposes.
