Conclusion

Abstract

Numerous advances have been made in the treatment of the suspect over the past 20 years, including more support for vulnerable suspects, improvements in the quality of legal advice as well as more effective interviewing methods and police complaints procedures and improved review and appeal procedures to address the safety of convictions. Expert testimony on issues of suggestibility is now permitted in the UK and judges and juries are much more aware of this problem. There have also been advances in the presentation of forensic evidence and the development of new techniques to extract DNA evidence. In addition, we also have a new system of advance disclosure. We have also highlighted the valuable contribution experimental research has made to illuminating the dynamics of interrogation and to jury perceptions and the expansion of work in these areas is to be welcomed.