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31 January 2008 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7306 / Categories: Features
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Book Reviews

witness testimony:PSYCHOLOGICAL, INVESTIGATIVE AND EVIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
Edited by Anthony Heaton-Armstrong, Eric Shepherd, Gisli Gudjonsson and David Wolchover / Oxford University Press /
RRP £49.95 / 496 pages

The role of the criminal justice system must be to find the truth. Quite what that “truth” means has and continues to be the subject of much debate. Some confuse truth with proof.  An analysis of the law of evidence only takes us as far as establishing how much can be proven, but proof does not always equate to truth. A person will be acquitted if the prosecution has failed to prove the case but it does not follow that that acquittal contains within it the truth of what happened.

This book, edited by a team of eminent people in their fields, develops a unique analysis of the way our adversarial system works and guides the reader through a series of closely argued sections designed to produce clear, cogent, accurate and reliable evidence.

Beginning with psychological perspectives, a series of writers, principally the respected Gisli Gudjonsson, deal with

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—four appointments

Birketts—four appointments

Firm expands partnership with four lateral hires across key practice areas

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joins corporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

NEWS
Serial sperm donor Robert Albon has lost his bid for a declaration of paternity, ‘on the ground that to grant it would manifestly be contrary to public policy’
The government is considering wholesale reform of consumer class actions—the ‘opt-out’ collective claims certified by the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT)
A ‘sophisticated suspected fraud’ may have taken place at PM Law involving the improper removal and misuse of about £39.5m of client funds, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will invest in technology to catch tech-reliant fraudsters and handle voluminous case materials
Law firms enjoyed rapid growth in 2025, according to a Financial Benchmarking Survey, published by the Law Society last week
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