4th February 2025
This presentation is in two parts. First, Gisli Gudjonsson provides a brief history of the development of forensic psychology in the UK, commencing with the early innovative work of the late Professor Lionel Haward, which laid the foundation for the subsequent work of Gisli Gudjonsson and colleagues. Key scientific developments and challenges are highlighted for the period 1980 to 2024 with illustrative case examples. The cases include a range of different areas of scientific endeavour, including blood injury phobia, witness and suspect testimony, risk factors to false confession, and collaborative work with law enforcement.
Sarah Rock follows with the current innovative work in the development and implementation of the Behavioural and Social Science (BaSS) Coordination Hub within the National Crime Agency (NCA), leading the development of BaSS capability across the agency.
The two presentations show the importance of collaborative work between academics, behavioural scientists [including forensic psychologists and psychiatrists], and law enforcement practitioners.