On 31 May, NCHR welcomed Ray Bull, Professor of Criminal Investigation at the University of Derby and Emeritus Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Leicester, and Dave Walsh, Professor in Criminal Investigation at De Montfort University’s School of Law, for a series of meetings and to deliver a public joint lecture on the implementation of investigative interviewing internationally and on how to research and assess its effectiveness.
Shift to research-based interviewing practices
Professor Bull, whose research focuses on investigative interviewing of suspects, witnesses, and victims, and who advises police forces and other investigative organizations on the interviewing of witnesses and suspects, discussed his experience in England of the shift from untested, “traditional” coercive practices used in police investigations to more effective, research-based investigative interviewing practices, which are fundamentally non-coercive in nature, consistent with human rights standards, and produce better results in eliciting accurate and reliable information.
Among many noteworthy points, Professor Bull linked investigative interviewing practices to the new, internationally recognized Méndez Principles.
Implementation around the world
Professor Walsh, whose research focuses on investigative interviewing of victims (including children), witnesses, and suspects, organized crime, and investigative decision-making, and who specializes in the teaching and research of criminal investigation and the policing of modern slavery, discussed factors influencing the implementation of investigative interviewing which are necessary to consider when developing investigative interviewing practices around the world.
Notably, Professor Walsh reported on the development of an international research network to help propel implementation of investigative interviewing in various parts of the world.