The development, practice, and impact of forensic clinical psychology in the UK

A Reminder that our Next Seminar “The development, practice, and impact of forensic clinical psychology in the UK” will be held on Tuesday 4th February 2025, 5-7pm.

This will be a free virtual event via Zoom. Spaces are limited on a first come basis.

To book your space please visit our Ticket Tailor page here.

Speakers:

PROFESSOR EMERITUS GISLI H. GUDJONSSON CBE

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Sarah Rock

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PROFESSOR EMERITUS GISLI H. GUDJONSSON CBE

Gisli Gudjonsson is a Professor Emeritus of Forensic Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. He pioneered the empirical measurement of interrogative suggestibility and has published extensively in the areas of psychological vulnerabilities, false confessions, and police interviewing. He has provided expert evaluation in several high-profile appeal cases in the UK, including the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six, the Tottenhham Three, the Cardiff Three, and thr case of Colin Stagg [including the police undercover operation]. He has provided expert testimony in several high profile cases in the USA (e.g., Joe Giarratano; Henry Lee Lucas; John Wille – all on death row and death sentences subsequently commuted/vacated, and Melissa Lucio whose execution was “stayed” indefinitely on April 2022, the case is currently awaiting court outcome regarding a re-trial); Canada (e.g., Andrew Rose [undercover operation]; Norway (e.g., Birgitte Tengs case); Iceland (The Gudmundur and Geirfinnur cases – known in the United Kingdom as the ‘Reykjavik Confessions’); Israel (a terrorist case); The Hague, Netherlands (An International War Crimes Tribunal). He currently works as a Special officer with the National Crime Agency within the Behavioural and Social Science (BaSS) Coordination Hub.

Sarah Rock

Sarah is Senior Manager of the Behavioural and Social Science (BaSS) Coordination Hub within the National Crime Agency (NCA), leading the development of BaSS capability across the agency.After graduating with a BSc in Psychology, Sarah undertook a postgraduate MSc in Investigative Psychology from the University of Liverpool, focussing her research on behavioural consistency and geographical profiling. Sarah holds a postgraduate Diploma in Police Executive Leadership and has been involved in the law enforcement effort to tackle serious and organised crime for over twenty years, working in the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), in a variety of roles in intelligence, policy and capability building. In the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS), Sarah oversaw the operational delivery of a national unit dedicated to applying behavioural analysis to identify linked serious sexual offences in support of UK policing. Sarah chaired a Research Panel which developed empirical research to improve operational practice and is currently the NCA lead for development of a BaSS innovation space, in conjunction with stakeholders in National Security, defence, policing, academia and industry.

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.

Research can transform lives. We want to support discoveries about what helps people with mental disorder who have been victims of criminal behaviour, or perpetrators of criminal behaviour, and their families, and the clinicians and others who treat them and, indeed, the wider community when its members are in contact with these problems. More effective prevention is the ideal, when this is not possible, we need more effective, evidenced interventions for recovery and restoration of safety.

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• Access to recordings of our previous webinars and seminars.
• Free attendance at suitable events awarding  up to 10 CPD hours per annum
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