ABSTRACT
Eyewitnesses are central to most court cases (Kebbell and Milne 1998; Zander and Henderson 1993). For example, a witness might state, ‘That is the man who robbed me, I'm certain of it!’ This is powerful evidence that provides not only information concerning who committed the offence but also the nature of the offence. Research shows that jurors rely heavily on eyewitness accounts to determine whether to convict or to acquit (e.g., Cutler, Penrod and Dexter 1990). However, research into false convictions, for example where subsequent DNA evidence exonerates a convicted individual, shows that the usual reason for a false conviction is erroneous witness evidence (Connors, Lundregan, Miller, and McEwan 1996; Huff, Rattner and Sagarin 1996). Therefore, it is essential that accurate evidence is presented in court.
