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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Defendant And The Criminal Trial : Does Providing Knowledge About The Criminal Justice System Help?, Daniel B. Hurley Jan 1999

The Defendant And The Criminal Trial : Does Providing Knowledge About The Criminal Justice System Help?, Daniel B. Hurley

Theses : Honours

Defendants are required to make many decisions during their encounter with the criminal justice system (i.e., plea, venue, representation, bail and, possibly, appeal). The assumption exists that defendants possess sufficient organizational and pragmatic knowledge of the system to make these decisions. However, research suggests that many defendants lack sufficient knowledge of the criminal justice system to make these decisions, and that this lack of knowledge may lead to feelings of anxiety. As a consequence of these findings, many defendants may be unable to effectively participate in the criminal justice system. By way of remedying this situation, it has been argued …


Psychological Assessment For The Courts : A Survey Of Psychologists, Mary-Anne Martin Jan 1999

Psychological Assessment For The Courts : A Survey Of Psychologists, Mary-Anne Martin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The literature relevant to legal standards in criminal, family, and civil settings in relation to psychological assessments for the courts is reviewed. Although over the past twenty years, a number of specialised forensic instruments have been developed for use in forensic settings, it appears that they are infrequently used. Surveys of test use patterns reveal that psychological test use in forensic settings is virtually identical to that in clinical settings, despite the different nature of the referral questions. The debate about the use of psychological tests in forensic assessments, and research on the use of tests in these assessments is …


Does Expert Evidence Pertaining To Battered Woman Syndrome Influence Juror Verdicts?, Clare E. Shannon Jan 1999

Does Expert Evidence Pertaining To Battered Woman Syndrome Influence Juror Verdicts?, Clare E. Shannon

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigated whether expert evidence pertaining to Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) influences juror verdicts the legal requirements of self defence (imminence, proportionality and an attempt to retreat from the situation) are generally not met in cases where battered women kill their partner: The killings do not immediately follow the attack, the force used is not proportionate to the attack and there is often no previous attempt to retreat from the situation. BWS expert psychological evidence has been admitted by Australian Courts to provide jurors with an alternative perspective for determining whether a woman's actions were reasonable in the given …