Police officers’ and Registered Intermediaries’ use of drawing during investigative interviews with vulnerable witnesses

ABSTRACT

Attempts to enhance episodic retrieval focus largely on verbal strategies which do not always address the limited or impaired free recall ability of vulnerable witnesses. Asking a witness to draw while recalling episodic information has long been deemed an effective method of improving communication and cognitive performance. Thus far, research has revealed these effects within laboratory settings but with scarce attention paid to real-life interview practice. In this paper, we explore police officers’ and Registered Intermediaries’ use of drawing during investigative interviews with vulnerable witnesses. A sample of specialist practitioners (n?=?85), comprising of vulnerable witness interviewing police officers (n?=?50) and Registered Intermediaries (n?=?35) completed a self-report questionnaire. As expected, frequent use of drawing was reported by both practitioner groups, and there was a positive correlation between reported use and perceived effectiveness. There were similarities between groups in reported techniques employed when using drawing, but some differences were apparent and these were attributed to the differing functions in police and Registered Intermediary roles. Overall, a consensus between empirical research and practice is evident, but these findings warrant further exploration in order to establish whether such practice is wide-spread.     

Are children less reliable at making visual identifications than adults? A review

The current paper reviews research that has investigated developmental differences in lineup identification. A wealth of studies have shown that children can be as accurate as adults when making a correct identification from a target present lineup (TP), however children are more inclined to choose and thereby make a false identification from a target absent (TA) lineup, as compared to adults. The literature reviewed, suggests that the disparity between children's and adult's performances on TA lineups is due to children being unable to resist the social demands to choose someone from a lineup and/or the need to give a positive response. Employing a silhouette within a lineup, that can be chosen if the target is not recognised, appears to be the most successful technique for reducing false identifications made by child witnesses. Including a silhouette as a part of a lineup, along with the lineup administrator being attired in casual clothing, rather than a uniform, are two simple measures that could make child witness identification evidence more reliable.     

The impact of questioning style on the content of investigative interviews with suspected child sexual abuse victims

Abstract

This study explored the influence of question type and interviewer style on the quantity and quality of responses offered by children in interviews for suspected sexual abuse. The analysis covered 36 investigative interviews conducted by polia officers under the Memorandum of Good Practice with children aged 4–7, 8–11 and 12–14 years. The dependent measures were the temporel length of children's answers and the number of criteria derived from Criteria Based Cornent Analysis (CBCA) they contained. Only 2% of all questions were open-ended, but just 3% were judged leading. Open questions were most effective with 12–14 year olds but not with younger children who provided nose information in response to specific yet not leading or closed questions. Longer answers containing move CBCA criteria were associated with interviews containing many affirmative utterances and verbal affirmations and a brief rapport. The implications of these findings for interview theory and practice are briefly discussed.     

Can order of general and specific memory prompts help children to recall an instance of a repeated event that was different from the others?

Does asking about the general event before asking about a specific instance help children to report details of a particular instance of a repeated event that was different from the others? Six- to eight-year-old children either experienced or heard stories about a magic show. An equal number of children had one, four, or six similar experiences. One week later, half of the children were asked to describe what happens during the magic shows and then what happened during the target experience and half were asked what happened followed by what happens. Following free recall, all children were asked cued recall questions about the target instance. Memory reports were more complete when the general prompt was administered first than when it was administered second. Implications for the forensic interviewing of children who allege repeated abuse are discussed.     

英国检察官审前会见证人制度研究

为防止检察官在审前训练、指导证人作证和污染证据,英格兰和威尔士的法律传统禁止检察官在审前会见证人.2003年开始,检察官审前会见证人的制度（PTWI）在英格兰和威尔士经历了从试点到全面推行的变革过程.为此,英国修改了《皇家检察官守则》的相关内容,制定了审前会见的《实务守则》和《工作指南》.而同为普通法系的我国香港地区对要不要引入检察官审前证人会见制度进行了审慎的研究,最终决定维持现行做法.英国这一制度探索展现了“检察官基于案件证据资料做出公诉决定”这一过程的复杂性,我国应从制度上规范检察官审前会见证人,科学评估证人证言可靠性,促进审查起诉制度精细化发展.     

国际刑事法院法官询问证人裁量权问题研究——以卢班加案为例展开分析

国际刑事法院卢班加案庭审过程中,被告就＂法官对被告方证人进行询问的裁量权＂提出质疑,具体涉及到法官的询问内容、询问形式以及被告方是否拥有对法官询问的问题进行质疑的权利等三方面裁量内容。审判分庭将该问题扩展至庭审中法官对任何证人进行询问的裁量权,从法律依据和事实依据两方面展开分析。＂国际刑事法院第一案＂的裁定内容与方法对其他司法实践将产生重要影响。     

依法询问证人 认真制作笔录

询问笔录是公安机关在审理刑事案件时依法制作的重要证据,本文从询问证人、制作笔录和审查证人证言三个方面提出了做好此项工作应主意的有关问题,以期引起同仁对严格执法的重视     

我国强制证人出庭作证制度的构建

证人证言作为刑事诉讼中的证据类型之一,在认定案件事实方面起着重要作用。然而,在司法实践中我国的证人出庭率很低,严重影响了人民法院审判活动的顺利进行。探寻强制证人出庭作证规则及其相关的保障措施,提高证人出庭率,对于强化庭审功能有着重要意义。     

让证人走向法庭——刑事案件证人出庭作证制度研究

证人出庭作证是审查证人证言的需要，是司法礼仪的需要，是被诉方行使质证权的需要。但在我国由于公民法律意识淡薄，相关法律规范有缺漏，司法人员能动性和积极性发挥不足，刑事证人不出庭成为常态，出庭率极低。因此，必须对法律作出一系列修改，使证人的权利义务趋于平衡，为证人出庭创造良好的条件，最终让证人走向法庭。     

宋代众证定罪规则的历史考察与现代启示

宋代司法重视程序正义,在众证定罪之前,三次讯问之际,法司应向嫌犯出示书证、物证等证人证言以外的其他证据,传统众证定罪原则所强调的言词证据之间互相印证的既有模式因此发生变化。三问程序的创制,是古代言词证据规则的重要创新,实质上是对特殊人群免于刑讯特权的间接否定,即实施三问以后,嫌犯不再享有豁免掠治之特别关照。在三问前置、刑讯为辅的规则之下,宋代众证定罪证据规则经体系重构而实现自洽,对于改变以口供为中心的司法传统,构建各种证据相互印证的机制发挥了重要作用。