Eyewitness confidence was once characterized as a weak indicator of identification accuracy, and is widely considered to be unreliable at trial. In recent years, however, a more positive view has emerged for eyewitness confidence at pretrial lineup procedures.
Research suggests a positive relation between confidence and accuracy, and estimates from a recent analysis of the experimental literature suggest the suspect identification error rate is relatively low if confidence is high and the lineup procedure is pristine. This talk will delve into the methods of estimating error rates from lab data and consider their generalizability to eyewitness identification in criminal cases.
This webinar is the sixth in our Criminal Law Scholars Series (CLSS), which is being co-hosted by Courthouse Libraries BC and the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society. Participants in this webinar may claim up to 1.5hrs of CPD with the Law Society of BC.
Presenter: Dr. Ryan Fitzgerald, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Moderator: Tamara Levy, KC