Expert evidence symposium brings psychology, science and law together
On 25 September, around 60 participants came to Maastricht for A Common Sense Approach to Expert Evidence. The one-day symposium looked at how courts assess and rely on expert witnesses. Legal scholars, psychologists, forensic experts and practitioners discussed a question that matters more and more in the courtroom: how can judges and lawyers tell reliable expertise from the rest?
Dr. Kacper Zajac opened the day with an overview of the legal requirements for expert evidence in both domestic and international jurisdictions. The morning panel, moderated by mr. Debbie Markusse, focused on domestic criminal law. Dr. Erwin Mattijssen explained how experts contribute in forensic disciplines such as weapon analysis. Prof. Henry Otgaar discussed psychological expertise and the guidelines for legal psychologists in court, and Dr. Anna Sagana focused on the growing use of AI-derived face recognition evidence.
The afternoon panel turned to international criminal law, with Dr. Simon de Smet moderating. The discussion began with Prof. Søren Blau explaining the role of forensic anthropology and the investigation of mass burial sites. Emeritus Prof. Joop de Jong spoke about psychiatric evaluations in cross-cultural settings, and Sabrina Rewald, J.D., addressed criteria for assessing digital evidence, which is becoming more and more common in international criminal law. Prof. André Klip closed the programme with Lessons Learned, drawing the day's threads together before drinks.
The symposium was organised by Dr. Anna Sagana and Dr. Kacper Zajac (Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience), together with Alice Giannini and Astrid Bastiaens (Faculty of Law) in collaboration with Maastricht University Science in Court. It was funded from Dr. Sagana's NWO XS grant and the kind support of University Fund Limburg. The organisers thank all speakers, moderators and participants for a day of lively and fruitful discussions.
Impressions
