Equivocal rulings on expert psychological and psychiatric evidence: Turning a muddle into a nonsense

Criminal Law Review

Volumn 1996, Issue 2, 1996, Pages 88-95

  Mackay, R D ^a   Colman, Andrew M ^b  

^a DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 5244316120     PISSN: 0011135X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. R. v. Turner [1975] Q.B. 834, C.A. For a recent application of the Turner rule see R. v. Coles [1994] Crim.L.R. 820.
2. R. D. Mackay and A. M. Colman, "Excluding Expert Evidence: A Tale of Ordinary Folk and Common Experience" [1991] Crim.L.R. 800. See also A. M. Colman and R. D. Mackay, "Legal Issues Surrounding the Admissibility of Expert Psychological and Psychiatric Testimony" in Children, Evidence and Procedure (N. K. Clark and G. M. Stephenson, eds.) (Issues in Criminological and Legal Psychology, No. 20) (1993, The British Psychological Society), pp.46-50.
3. R. D. Mackay and A. M. Colman, "Excluding Expert Evidence: A Tale of Ordinary Folk and Common Experience" [1991] Crim.L.R. 800. See also A. M. Colman and R. D. Mackay, "Legal Issues Surrounding the Admissibility of Expert Psychological and Psychiatric Testimony" in Children, Evidence and Procedure (N. K. Clark and G. M. Stephenson, eds.) (Issues in Criminological and Legal Psychology, No. 20) (1993, The British Psychological Society), pp.46-50.
4. See R. D. Mackay and A. M. Colman, "Excluding Expert Evidence" [1991] Crim.L.R. 800, at p.801.
5. Emery (1993) 14 Cr.App.R.(S.) 394.
6. Quoted in Emery (1993) 14 Cr.App.R.(S.) 394, at p.397.
7. ibid. at p.397.
8. ibid. at p.398.
9. A. Furnham, "Social Psychology as Common Sense" (1983) 36 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 105; A. Furnham, "Prospective Psychology Students' Knowledge of Psychology" (1992) 70 Psychological Reports 375; W. McKeachie, "Changes in Scores on the Northwestern Misconceptions Test in Six Elementary Psychology Courses" (1960) 51 Journal of Educational Psychology 240; P. Smith, E. Ashton, J. Elliott, C. Freeland, W. Jones, A. McKinnon, S. Simpson and R. Strong, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Survey" (1969) 22 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 205; P. Smith and D. Casbolt, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Fifteen Years On" (1984) 37 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 334.
10. A. Furnham, "Social Psychology as Common Sense" (1983) 36 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 105; A. Furnham, "Prospective Psychology Students' Knowledge of Psychology" (1992) 70 Psychological Reports 375; W. McKeachie, "Changes in Scores on the Northwestern Misconceptions Test in Six Elementary Psychology Courses" (1960) 51 Journal of Educational Psychology 240; P. Smith, E. Ashton, J. Elliott, C. Freeland, W. Jones, A. McKinnon, S. Simpson and R. Strong, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Survey" (1969) 22 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 205; P. Smith and D. Casbolt, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Fifteen Years On" (1984) 37 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 334.
11. A. Furnham, "Social Psychology as Common Sense" (1983) 36 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 105; A. Furnham, "Prospective Psychology Students' Knowledge of Psychology" (1992) 70 Psychological Reports 375; W. McKeachie, "Changes in Scores on the Northwestern Misconceptions Test in Six Elementary Psychology Courses" (1960) 51 Journal of Educational Psychology 240; P. Smith, E. Ashton, J. Elliott, C. Freeland, W. Jones, A. McKinnon, S. Simpson and R. Strong, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Survey" (1969) 22 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 205; P. Smith and D. Casbolt, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Fifteen Years On" (1984) 37 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 334.
12. A. Furnham, "Social Psychology as Common Sense" (1983) 36 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 105; A. Furnham, "Prospective Psychology Students' Knowledge of Psychology" (1992) 70 Psychological Reports 375; W. McKeachie, "Changes in Scores on the Northwestern Misconceptions Test in Six Elementary Psychology Courses" (1960) 51 Journal of Educational Psychology 240; P. Smith, E. Ashton, J. Elliott, C. Freeland, W. Jones, A. McKinnon, S. Simpson and R. Strong, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Survey" (1969) 22 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 205; P. Smith and D. Casbolt, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Fifteen Years On" (1984) 37 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 334.
13. A. Furnham, "Social Psychology as Common Sense" (1983) 36 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 105; A. Furnham, "Prospective Psychology Students' Knowledge of Psychology" (1992) 70 Psychological Reports 375; W. McKeachie, "Changes in Scores on the Northwestern Misconceptions Test in Six Elementary Psychology Courses" (1960) 51 Journal of Educational Psychology 240; P. Smith, E. Ashton, J. Elliott, C. Freeland, W. Jones, A. McKinnon, S. Simpson and R. Strong, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Survey" (1969) 22 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 205; P. Smith and D. Casbolt, "Sixth-formers and Psychology: Fifteen Years On" (1984) 37 Bulletin of the British Psychological Society 334.
14. J. Best, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Students Who Perform Highly" (1982) 51 Psychological Reports 239; L. E. McCutcheon, "A New Test of Misconceptions About Psychology" (1991) 68 Psychological Reports 647; E. Vaughn, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Introductory Psychology Students" (1977) 4 Teaching of Psychology 138.
15. J. Best, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Students Who Perform Highly" (1982) 51 Psychological Reports 239; L. E. McCutcheon, "A New Test of Misconceptions About Psychology" (1991) 68 Psychological Reports 647; E. Vaughn, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Introductory Psychology Students" (1977) 4 Teaching of Psychology 138.
16. J. Best, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Students Who Perform Highly" (1982) 51 Psychological Reports 239; L. E. McCutcheon, "A New Test of Misconceptions About Psychology" (1991) 68 Psychological Reports 647; E. Vaughn, "Misconceptions About Psychology Among Introductory Psychology Students" (1977) 4 Teaching of Psychology 138.
17. Emery (1993) 14 Cr.App.R.(S.) 394, at p.397.
18. Ahluwalia [1992] 4 All E.R. 889.
19. [1975] Q.B. 834, C.A.
20. Smith (Stanley) [1979] 3 All E.R. 605, at p.611.
21. [1992] 4 All E.R. 889 at p.900.
22. [1978] 2 All E.R. 182.
23. [1982] 2 N.Z.L.R. 198.
24. [1986] N.Z. Recent Law 188.
25. [1995] 4 All E.R. 1008, discussed by L.H. Leigh in "Provocation and the Reasonable Person" (1995) 145 New L.J. 1308. See further R. v. Dryden [1995] 4 All E.R. 987 and R. v. Thornton (No. 2) [1995] N.L.J. Law Reports 1888.
26. [1995] 4 All E.R. 1008, discussed by L.H. Leigh in "Provocation and the Reasonable Person" (1995) 145 New L.J. 1308. See further R. v. Dryden [1995] 4 All E.R. 987 and R. v. Thornton (No. 2) [1995] N.L.J. Law Reports 1888.
27. [1995] 4 All E.R. 1008 at p.1014.
28. ibid at pp.1014-1015.
29. [1995] 3 All E.R. 659.
30. (1980) 71 Cr.App.R. 331.
31. [1992] 2 N.Z.L.R. 550.
32. ibid., at p.558.
33. cf. Coles [1994] Crim.L.R. 820.
34. Emery (1993) 14 Cr.App.R.(S.) 394, at p.398.
35. Graham (1982) 74 Cr.App.R. 235.
36. Howe [1987] A.C. 417.
37. Hegarty [1994] Crim.L.R. 353.
38. Lexis transcript.
39. See Lord Simon's comments in Camplin [1978] 2 All E.R. 182.
40. Lexis transcript.
41. Home [1994] Crim.L.R. 584.
42. Lexis transcript.
43. Lexis transcript.
44. See, e.g. L. R. Goldberg, "The Structure of Phenotypic Personality Traits" (1993) 48 American Psychologist 26; S. E. Hampson, "The Construction of Personality" in Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology (A. M. Colman, ed.), Vol. 1, pp.602-621 (1994, Routledge); Handbook of Personality Theory and Research (L. A. Pervin, ed.) (1990, Guilford, New York).
45. See, e.g. L. R. Goldberg, "The Structure of Phenotypic Personality Traits" (1993) 48 American Psychologist 26; S. E. Hampson, "The Construction of Personality" in Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology (A. M. Colman, ed.), Vol. 1, pp.602-621 (1994, Routledge); Handbook of Personality Theory and Research (L. A. Pervin, ed.) (1990, Guilford, New York).
46. See, e.g. L. R. Goldberg, "The Structure of Phenotypic Personality Traits" (1993) 48 American Psychologist 26; S. E. Hampson, "The Construction of Personality" in Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology (A. M. Colman, ed.), Vol. 1, pp.602-621 (1994, Routledge); Handbook of Personality Theory and Research (L. A. Pervin, ed.) (1990, Guilford, New York).
47. [1994] Crim.L.R. 356.
48. Law Com. No. 177, A Criminal Code for England and Wales, Vol. 1: Report and Draft Criminal Code Bill (1989).
49. ibid., para. 12.16 of Vol. 2.
50. In "A New Look at Eye Witness Testimony" (1995) 145 New L.J. 94, Peter Thornton Q.C. at p.98 makes the following suggestion: "Alternatively, each category of prospective expert evidence could be considered by Parliament and the new limits of admissibility codified in statute." But such a development seems impractical and unrealistic, especially as the potential categories of expert evidence are virtually limitless.
51. (1988-89) 167 C.L.R. 94, at p. 110.
52. R. D. Mackay and A. M. Colman, "Excluding Expert Evidence: A Tale of Ordinary Folk and Common Experience" [1991] Crim.L.R. 800, at p.809.
53. cf. Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993) 113 S.Ct. 2786, where the Supreme Court of the United States abandoned the restrictive approach towards the admissibility of expert evidence contained in the Frye test (see Frye v. United States, 293 F.Supp. 1013, D.C. Cir. 1923) in favour of the more liberal approach of the Federal Rules of Evidence 1975, especially rule 702 which provides that "If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact at issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise". For a discussion see A. M. Colman and R. D. Mackay, "Psychological Evidence in Court: Legal Developments in England and the United States" (1993) 1 Psychology, Crime & Law 261.