Legal professionals sometimes request the assistance of scientists in the courtroom. For example, legal psychologists are asked to evaluate the reliability of eyewitness testimony, or forensic pathologists are consulted to provide a report on the cause of death. Such expert witness help can be of grave importance in preventing errors slipping into the criminal justice system, such as the occurrence of wrongful convictions. In this lecture series organised by Maastricht University, several talks will be given about how different scientific disciplines can contribute to justice in the courtroom. 

The individual lectures:

• 31 October: Prof. Henry Otgaar: Reliability of Testimony
• 7 November: Wilma Duijst: Asking the Right Question
• 14 November: Jenny Schell-Leugers: The Impact of False Confessions on Wrongful Convictions
• 21 November: Menno Dollman: Scientific, Analytic and Legal Perspectives on Evidence
• 28 November: Prof. Jan-Willem van Prooijen: Belief in Conspiracy Theories.