Metric forensic anthropology decisions: Reliability and biasability of sectioning-point-based sex estimates

Subjective decisions make human cognitive processes more susceptible to bias and error. Specifically, research indicates that additional context biases forensic anthropologists’ morphological analyses. To address whether metric analyses are also subject to bias, we conducted a pilot study in which 52 experienced osteologists measured a difficult-to-classify human femur, with or without additional contextual information. Using a metric sectioning-point sex-estimation method, participants provided a sex estimate for individual skeletal element(s) and, when given multiple elements, the combined skeletal assemblage. Control group participants (n = 24) measured only the femur. In addition to the femur, bias group participants (n = 28) either measured a female humerus and viewed a female-biasing photograph (n = 14) or measured a male humerus and viewed a male-biasing photograph (n = 14). We explored whether the experts in the different groups would differ in: (1) femoral measurements; (2) femoral sex-estimation conclusions; and (3) final sex-estimation conclusions for the skeletal assemblage. Although the femoral measurements and femoral sex estimates were comparable across groups, the overall sex estimates in the female-biased group were impacted by contextual information—differing from both the control and male-biased groups (p < 0.001). Our results demonstrate that cognitive bias can occur even in metric sex-estimation conclusions. Specifically, this occurred when the metric data and single-element sex estimates were synthesized into an overall estimate. Thus, our results suggest that metric methods are most vulnerable to bias when data are synthesized into an overall conclusion, highlighting the need for bias countermeasures and comprehensive statistical frameworks for synthesizing metric data to mitigate the effects of cognitive bias.     

精神病人合同能力鉴定的相关问题

为了探讨精神病人合同能力鉴定的相关理论 ,解决合同能力鉴定中鉴定标准混乱的问题 ,对合同能力鉴定的法律基础、标准、民事行为能力与民事权利能力的区别 ,民事行为能力的广义、狭义区分进行了论述。提出合同能力鉴定的核心问题是意思表示的真实性 ,主张将合同能力分为有、无两级 ,强调合同能力的分级与民事行为能力的等级存在区别。并提出合同能力鉴定的程式为 :首先判定其行为能力 ,有行为能力相应具有合同能力 ,无行为能力即无合同能力 ,限制民事行为者 ,应根据年龄、智力、精神健康状况、生活关联度 ,再分为有合同能力、无合同能力。     

警察出庭作证:透析与前瞻

警察作为证人出庭作证在国外十分普遍,然而我国一直将警察排除在证人之外,警察出庭作证少之又少。我国警察应当出庭作证,但应限制在特定范围之内。在目前情况下,警察出庭作证还存在较大障碍,这恰恰是我国刑事司法改革之所在。     

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON TIMOTHY M. TIPPINS AND JEFFREY P. WITTMANN'S "EMPIRICAL AND ETHICAL PROBLEMS WITH CUSTODY RECOMMENDATIONS

In this commentary, the call for clinical humility and judicial vigilance in custody recommendations is confirmed as valid and the Australian experience, where the child custody report writer has for some years been permitted to express an opinion on the ultimate issue, is considered. The inherent risks are briefly discussed, and the question of who of the judge and the social scientist might be better placed to decide the exquisitely difficult children's issues after family breakdown is touched upon. It suggests that a combination of the expert's opinion and judicial fact finding probably produces a result that is as good as it gets. But a greater danger is highlighted. It is the impact of the adversary system, and whether it is suitable in any event to these sensitive court decisions.     

司法鉴定人制度研究

鉴定人在英美法系国家作为当事人的“专家证人”与证人共存于证人规则框架之下,在大陆法 系国家作为法官的“科学辅助人”被纳入准司法官员的范畴内,两大法系形成了各有利弊的鉴定人制度。我 国的鉴定人制度虽与它们不同,但在基本精神、法律性质等方面仍有相似之处,应在对两大法系鉴定人制度 和我国现行的鉴定人制度综合分析的基础上,根据人大常委会《决定》确立的思路,建构科学、合理、有效的 鉴定人制度。     

论刑事证人拒证行为的犯罪化

刑事证人拒证行为危害严重 ,且已达到了为国家和社会不堪容忍的程度。对其规制的惟一理性的选择是尽快完善刑事立法 ,将刑事证人拒证行为纳入刑法调控领域。     

导致法医临床学鉴定结论偏差的原因

随着法制建设的日臻完善和人民群众法制意识的不断增强,法医活体检验方面存在的问题越来越多地被暴露出来,从而使法医临床学鉴定的科学性和公信度大打折扣,使法医鉴定工作陷入尴尬境地。     

对警察刑事执法实践中若干问题的实证分析

通过发放调研问卷与访谈等实证分析的研究,揭示我国警察刑事执法实践中面临的种种问题,并就普遍关注的刑侦体制改革、警察出庭作证两个专题进行理论探讨与反思,就公安机关刑事执法与行政执法两项权力的并存与交叉问题进行初步的解剖。     

儿童证人问题的心理学分析

在心理认知科学发展的背景下,对儿童作证主体之适格性问题的争论已经转变为对儿童证言的可靠性的判断。儿童证人由于其生理和心理的特点决定了其记忆信息的编码、贮存、和提取方面存在着不足,但不能因此否认儿童作证的适格性。相反,应根据儿童的身心特点,制订出相应可行的实践操作原则以提高儿童证人证言的可靠性。     

浅议民事诉讼中的专家证人制度

专家证人制度是英美法系的法律制度,其功能是弥补法官在专业知识上的缺陷,帮助法庭查明案件中遇到的专业性问题.我国民事诉讼率先引进了类似于专家证人的制度,以补充我国司法鉴定制度的不足.本文试从英美法系专家证人形态入手,分析引进专家证人制度对我国司法鉴定制度带来的影响及其完善的路径.