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Abstract

Countries and their legal systems have experienced miscarriages of justice for many years, often through faulty police investigations, insufficient police interviewing techniques, and the inability of criminal justice systems to protect vulnerable individuals. This dissertation aimed to shed an international light onto the police practices that cause wrongful convictions, and the impact false confession evidence has during a criminal trial, all the while, assessing whether the Méndez Principles can be effectively implemented into criminal justice systems around the world to eradicate these issues. The findings of this dissertation were collected through extensive reading on existing literature on the topic of miscarriages of justice, false confessions, techniques used by the police to elicit such, and the countries who have adopted interviewing models to minimise false admission likelihoods. As a result, it was apparent that countries who have adopted new interviewing models, such as the UK with PEACE and Norway with KREATIV, have seen a significant drop in the number of wrongful convictions, and that suspects, particularly those who are vulnerable, are now fully supported during a police interview. The UK and Norway have also inspired several countries, such as Iceland and Ireland, to adopt their own interviewing models which are specific and unique to their legal system and culture. These show how the Méndez Principles are realisable for countries who seek reform, however, they still prove challenging in other parts of the world. Due to the large scale of the country, and the 18,000 police forces active, the US proves a significant challenge for the implementation of the Méndez Principles as the criminal justice system is heavily rooted in political and economic dogma that is near to impossible to change. These findings indicate the need for greater individual support for citizens, through the introduction of legal and ethical reform in the shape of the Méndez Principles.

Course: Criminology and Forensic Studies - BSc (Hons) - C2039F

Date Deposited: 2024-11-20

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14527.html