ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with areas of practice where clinical psychology interconnects with the Law. There are many facets of the law and legal processes where clinical psychologists can be of immense use but clinical psychologists are not the only psychologists interested in this topic. The chapter explores what forensic psychology is and its uniqueness in the field of clinical psychology, the breadth of the roles that forensic psychologists can be involved in, and the specific tasks that can be a part of the forensic psychologist's research and clinical work. It introduces issues within the field such as lie detection and the usefulness of this assessment tool. Forensic psychology is viewed as a vibrant and respected domain of psychology. For example, the American Psychological Association, in 2001, established forensic psychology as a specialty area within psychology. The clinical psychologist who has been trained to practice in forensic contexts is often known as a clinical forensic psychologist.
