Handling statements and interrogations with confidence

theme No.: 12a
responsible federal state: Baden-Württemberg
date: 27.03.2023 - 31.03.2023

This conference addresses judges of all jurisdictions as well as public prosecutors.
Wherever statements – by witnesses, parties or persons charged with an offence – are used to clarify a legal issue, there are typical risks associated with the possibility that the decision to be made on the basis of such statements may not be based on the “true” facts and circumstances. There are a lot of error sources – from false perceptions to error-prone memory processes, lies, misunderstandings, and psychological effects on the part of the interrogators.
The conference aims to convey the methods and skills required to recognize and minimize these risks. This will be achieved with a mix of theoretical presentations and practical exercises. In particular, participants will acquire the following skills:

• to review statements based on a hypothesis (German Federal Court of Justice: “null hypothesis”),
• to handle credibility criteria and competency analysis with confidence in practice,
• to recognize and evaluate stereotypes of lying (e.g. body language) and decision heuristics used by interrogators,
• to recognize and – where possible – avoid error sources in perception, memory and communication,
• to plan and perform interrogations with a view to credibility analysis,
• to improve records,
• to implement credibility analysis in judicial decisions (usually texts) with transparency and confidence.

This seminar requires active cooperation from the participants.
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