Routledge International Handbook of Legal and Investigative Psychology

The Routledge International Handbook of Legal and Investigative Psychology explores contemporary topics in psychological science, applying them to investigative and legal procedures. Written by recognized scholars from around the globe, this book brings together current research, emerging trends, and cutting-edge debates in a single comprehensive and authoritative volume. Drawing from both research and practice, this handbook highlights many important issues such as: how to investigate and prosecute rape; the value of emotional affect in homicide investigations; and factors affecting jurors’ and suspects’ decision making. By considering current research, the authors inform both legal and investigative professionals of findings that are of direct relevance to them, and the steps that can be taken to improve efficiency. This collection will inform investigative and legal professionals, advanced psychology students, academics, researchers, and policy makers. It will also be of great interest to researchers from other disciplines, including criminology, policing, and law.

"Whether struggling for accountability for major human rights abuses or trying to save an innocent client from a serious miscarriage of justice, sooner or later a lawyer is confronted with problems of evidence, particularly in assessing credibility of witnesses, reliability of memory, and psychological effects of various forms of coercion. This remarkable volume by world-renowned specialists offers practitioners the most up-to-date findings of science on the complex relationship between psychology and the law." - Juan E Méndez, Professor of Human Rights Law in Residence, Washington College of Law, Washington, USA."Editors Ray Bull and Iris Blandón-Gitlin and their authors deliver readable and up-to-date overviews of the state of psychological research on legally-relevant topics. This timely and accessible volume is written for investigative and legal professionals and students with an interest in psycho-legal research such as eyewitness evidence, jury competence, lie detection strategies, crime scene analysis, stalking, and false memories. Investigative interviewing is given extended treatment with chapters touching on the right to silence, interview strategies, establishing cooperation, eliciting information, avoiding bias, and training-as well as chapters focusing on sexual assault, minority suspects, and the use of interpreters. A rich and engaging new resource!" – Steven Penrod, John Jay college, City University of New York, USA

Ray Bull is Immediate Past President of the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL). In 2010 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society, an honour restricted to 40 living psychologists. In 2008 he received the EAPL Award for Life-time Contribution to Psychology and Law. He regularly acts as an expert witness and conducts workshops/training on investigative interviewing around the world.Iris Blandón-Gitlin is Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton, USA. Her research focuses on examining social-cognitive factors that influence people’s memories, the detecting of deception, and the elicitation of information from sources in forensic contexts. Dr Blandón-Gitlin also consults in criminal cases and frequently conducts training for professionals in the legal community.