Wiedza polskich sędziów i prokuratorów na temat psychologii zeznań naocznych świadków w świetle badania własnego
The knowledge of Polish judges and prosecutors concerning the psychology of eyewitness testimony

Summary/Abstract: Knowledge of psychology is vital in the application of law. However, classical studies by Richard A. Wise and Martin A. Safer (conducted on a sample of American judges, prosecutors and attorneys) showed that they know very little about psychological effects in eyewitness testimony. Further studies conducted in Norway, Canada and China arrived at similar conclusions. This article presents results of the author’s own study, which was the first attempt to verify the knowledge of Polish judges and prosecutors concerning the psychology of eyewitness testimony. Research was conducted on a sample of 545 participants, including 87 judges and 193 prosecutors. The results showed that Polish lawyers also know rather little about the psychology of eyewitness testimony. The results suggest that the professional experience of judges and prosecutors does not in itself always guarantee they have actual knowledge about the psychology of eyewitness testimony.

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