Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology applies findings in psychology to legal situations. They are often asked to appear in court as an expert witness to say whether the defendant has any psychological condition that would make a difference to the verdict, or whether they are even competent to stand trial. They may be asked to assess whether an insanity plea is credible, or to provide a prediction of how much of a risk to the public the defendant is. They may also be called in in less high-profile cases such as custody battles. They can provide sentencing and/ or treatment recommendations, as well as reports on the reliability of witnesses. As such, they need understand legal practice, as well as the psychology.

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