ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of forensic psychology in its most literal form – direct application to the courts. A brief historical review indicates that psychologists began delving into issues of direct relevance to the courts over a century ago. Since then four roles have been differentiated for the use of psychology in court: clinical, experimental, actuarial and advisory. Each of these is discussed with examples. The various strands of law in which psychologists play a role are described, including areas of criminal and civil law. The activities of psychologists in the pre-trial, trial and pre-sentencing phases of criminal cases are also discussed. Finally, the admissibility and application of various behavioural investigative techniques to the court setting is described.
