"GOOD SCIENCE, BAD EVIDENCE? NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE RELIABILITY OF EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS;" OSGOODE CONFERENCE IS HAPPENING ON SATURDAY!

How time flies!

The Osgoode Hall Law School's conference entitled: "Good Science, Bad Evidence? New perspectives on the reliability of evidence in criminal proceedings," - featured in a previous post on this Blog - will be held in downtown Toronto on Saturday.

This conference will entertain numerous topics of interest to the readers of this Blog, including: perception, judgment and decision-making - the power of suggestion in expert forensic opinion; earwitness identification and recall; manufactured memories; the confidence of witnesses; the use of syndromes, profiles and indicators; and, "false confessions, "Mr. Big" and the Reid technique of interrogation.

The Charles Smith Blog plans to be there!

More information on the conference can be found at:


http://www.osgoodepd.ca/cle/2009_criminal_proceedings/index.htmlAgenda;

The agenda is as follows:

8:15 Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00

Welcome and Introduction from the Chairs

9:05

The Vision in So-called Blind Justice

Dr. Itiel Dror, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology University College London, UK; Principal Consultant, Cognitive Consultants International Ltd., London, UK and California, USA

A leading expert in human cognition, Dr. Dror’s research focuses on training and skill acquisition, and expertise and human performance in a variety of domains including forensics, police, US Air Force, medicine, and finance.
He will discuss his findings on human factors and cognitive influences on hard core forensic evidence and, bridging theory and the real world of criminal justice, will provide scientific insights into perception, judgement and decision-making.

Roundtable Discussion
Christopher Sherrin, University of Western Ontario, Faculty

of Law (Moderator)
Dr. Ray Prime, Director, Centre of Forensic Sciences
Richard Devine, Team Leader, Forensic Identification Training Unit

Ontario Police College
Michael W. Lacy, Lacy Barristers
Dr. Itiel Dror, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University College London, UK; Principal Consultant, Cognitive Consultants International Ltd., London, UK and California, USA

10:10

Earwitness Identification Evidence

Dan Yarmey, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus University of Guelph

Department of Psychology

There is growing literature on the variables that may affect the accuracy of speaker identification and conversational memory, including how witnesses recall the details of conversations and statements they recount in court. Dr. Yarmey will discuss the dangers posed by conversational testimony.

Roundtable Discussion
The Hon. Justice Todd Ducharme, Ontario Superior Court

of Justice (Moderator)
Robin Flumerfelt, Assistant Crown Attorney, Crown Law Office– Criminal, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
Michael Edelson, Edelson & Associates
Dan Yarmey, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph

Department of Psychology

11:15 Refreshment Break

11:30

Eliciting Truth by Telling Lies: The Reliability of the Reid Technique and the “Mr. Big” Scenario

Dr. Timothy E. Moore, C Psych, Glendon College, York University, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology

Dr. Moore’s research on the Reid Technique and the “Mr. Big” scenario, commonly used by police in Canada raises some troubling questions, including whether they may result in false confessions in some cases. Hear more about his research in this thought-provoking session.

Roundtable Discussion
James Stribopoulos, Osgoode Hall Law School

York University (Moderator)
Peter W.S. Copeland, Di Luca Copeland Davies LLP
James L. Cornish, Crown Attorney – Haldimand Major Case Management, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
Dr. Timothy E. Moore, C Psych, Glendon College, York University Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology

12:30

Networking Luncheon

1:15

Manufacturing Memories

Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, University of California Irvine, Psychology and Social Behavior, Criminology, Law and Society, Cognitive Sciences, School of Law

Dr. Loftus is an internationally acclaimed researcher and expert on human memory. Her research has de-bunked and thrown into question long-held assumptions about the reliability of human memory. Dr. Loftus will discuss her latest research on memory and its changeability, and the legal and practical implications of that research.

Roundtable Discussion
The Hon. Justice Casey Hill, Ontario Superior Court

of Justice (Moderator)
Alan D. Gold, Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation, Barristers
Philip Kotanen, Deputy Crown Attorney, Ontario Ministry of

the Attorney General
Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, University of California Irvine, Psychology and Social Behavior, Criminology, Law and Society, Cognitive Sciences, School of Law

2:15

Syndromes, Profiles and Indicators: The Good, the Bad

and the Ugly

Alan D. Gold, Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation, Barristers

Police officers invest considerable time in learning methodologies of the syndromes, profiles and indicators commonly used in police investigations. How valid and reliable are these from a scientific perspective? How should they be dealt with as evidence by the Court?

Roundtable Discussion
David Paciocco, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (Moderator)
Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, University of California Irvine, Psychology and Social Behavior, Criminology, Law and Society Cognitive Sciences, School of Law
Anil K. Kapoor, Kapoor Barristers
Jamie Klukach, Counsel, Crown Law Office- Criminal, Ontario Ministry

of the Attorney General
Alan D. Gold, Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation, Barristers

3:30

Witness Confidence

Roderick C.L. Lindsay, Ph.D, Professor Queen’s Research Chair

Queen’s University, Department of Psychology

No matter what the context, courts generally take witness confidence as a positive factor in witness credibility. What are the scientific findings regarding witness confidence and what should a trier of fact really know about the confident witness? Dr. Lindsay will discuss and illustrate some of his findings in an area which is critically important to our system of doing justice.

Roundtable Discussion
The Hon. Justice Gary Trotter, Ontario Superior Court

of Justice (Moderator)
Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, University of California Irvine, Psychology and Social Behavior, Criminology, Law and Society Cognitive Sciences, School of Law
Alan D. Gold, Alan D. Gold Professional Corporation, Barristers
Inspector Pat Finnegan, Ontario Provincial Police
Roderick C.L. Lindsay, Ph.D, Professor, Queen’s Research Chair, Queen’s University, Department of Psychology

4:30

Closing Comments;

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;