ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the understanding of children's testimony from a psychological perspective and illustrates how investigators and legal professionals in Hong Kong adopt a child-friendly approach and apply their knowledge to help child witnesses give the best evidence they can. When dealing with child witnesses, investigators must remind themselves that children differ from adults in their understanding of the world and in the way they express themselves. Investigators should try to understand how children's memory works before asking them to recall events. Child witnesses are required to pass a test of truth and lies as if this can ensure they will tell only the truth. Fortunately, research has demonstrated that children are not equally suggestible in every context. Thus, suggestibility lies mainly with the questioner rather than with the child. Overall, findings in child psychology research support the participation of child witnesses in the criminal justice system.
