ABSTRACT
This chapter explores what psychology can tell about how police can best preserve the information they collect to produce the most reliable and credible evidence. Memory and cognition research provides the evidence-base for the improved reliability of video recording witness and suspect interviews. The chapter examines the decision makers in a holistic way by considering how, if this video is played as evidence, it might affect every key decision maker in the outcome of an investigation or prosecution – investigators, suspects, lawyers, and judges and jurors. The reconstructive nature of memory means one of the key factors influencing the reliability of the information provided by a witness is how that information is elicited. The research on inconsistencies has implications for investigators, lawyers and judges in deciding whether to present evidence via video recorded interview. High levels of detail may diminish interviewee credibility and the ability of decision makers to systematically analyse the evidence.
