Training to UK senior judges on Human Memory, Witnesses and Decision-making, delivered by Fatos Selita

 

Head of Law and Ethics and LESIG Co-ordinator, Fatos Selita, delivered training to the UK judiciary on Human Memory, Witnesses and Decision Making

 

Topic: Human Memory, Witnesses and Decision Making in the Justice System

Audience: Judges of the High Court, Commercial Court and Crown Court, UK

Date & Venue: May 2018, Royal Courts of Justice

 

 

The training was attended by a range of judges, including High Court, Criminal Court, and Court of Appeal.  The training covered a number of important aspects of decision-making, including:

  • Reliability of memory and how memory is influenced and altered;
  • Mind weaknesses and mind bugs affecting decision-making (e.g. selective attention, fundamental attribution error, biases)
  • Suggestion (e.g. in police interviewing, lineups, advocacy)
  • Impact of questioning on memory on evidence
  • Lie detecting; The mechanism of dishonesty
  • How to know a lie from the truth
  • Origin of traits; Origin of individual differences and
  • How these affect decision-making.

Relevant paper on decision-making:

Selita and Kovas 2026. Deep but Narrow, Wide but Shallow: Unidisciplinary vs Multidisciplinary Knowledge and Decision-Making. LIJ, 11:1. https://www.legalissuesjournal.com/article/4326/

 

 

English