Course dates
Online teaching
We are now offering many of our courses online (over Zoom or similar platforms). No prior experience with these platforms is required. Continue learning with us by taking courses remotely via live distance learning.
Course overview
Learn about the psychology of the justice process. This course covers a wide range of psychological phenomena relevant to all stages of the justice process.
The course is available in four formats:
- Campus
- Clients' Office
- Online (Virtual Classroom) with live tutoring
- Bespoke (Group or 1-2-1 coaching)
100% of AIR income, beyond operational expense, is used towards education and research. Read more…
Psychology is closely connected to law and justice. Our actions and decision-making are affected by a multitude of psychological phenomena and processes.
The course provides knowledge on factors influencing justice stakeholders in civil and criminal justice process. These include conscious and unconscious biases; and internal and external influences; and much more.
The course also teaches how to protect from internal influences (e.g. biases, expectations) and from external manipulations (e.g. powerful advocacy, persuasion).
Why choose this course
The course director has multi-disciplinary expertise in law, psychology and genetics; and over 11 years of experience in delivering training in these areas, including to the judiciary.
Of the thousands of degree-granting universities, Goldsmiths Psychology department is in the World Top 100 in the QS ranking for academic reputation. Papers by our academics are highly cited, we hold 55th place among the worlds' Psychology departments for the number of citations per published paper.
Campus Courses - VAT-free: Our venues are in central London (Senate House) and in New Cross. You can select your preferred location by choosing the date available.
Virtual Classroom Courses - VAT-free: Live tutoring brings all the benefits of face to face training and, in addition, improves skills for ‘digital’ participation. There is an increasing need for online activities in all areas of life. For example, meetings, interviews, presentations and conferences are increasingly opting for participation and contribution via digital platforms; and courts have introduced video-advocacy and judging. Therefore, ‘digital’ participation and the necessary skills for online delivery of Public Speaking are becoming an essential skill of the 21st century.
Bespoke Courses: If you are interested in a tailor-made Public Speaking course option (1-1 coaching or bespoke group training), please contact us using the email or phone number provided below.
Is this course for me
The course is a useful resource for all people, and an essential resource for justice system professionals (e.g. judges, lawyers, police, policy makers).
Participants have included justice system professionals, medical professionals, business executives and students.
Other clients also took:
Psychology of Decision Making (1 day) - Campus or Virtual Classroom
Genetics and law (1-day) - Campus or Virtual Classroom
Advocacy Training - Campus or Virtual Classroom
Fees
£195Booking information
Disability Support
We are committed to providing reasonable teaching adjustments for students with disabilities that may impact on their learning experience. If you require adjustments, please complete the relevant section on the booking form and also contact us at shortcourses@gold.ac.uk so we can respond to your requests as soon as possible.
Please note our short courses sell-out quickly, so early booking is advisable.
Discounts
- 10% when a participant enrolls for more than one of our courses (at the same time)
- 20% UK students
- 25%Members of the UK Law and Society Association (UKLSA)
- If five people register from the same institution for the same intake, the fifth place is free
- Goldsmiths students, staff and alumni - email us for current discounts
As a University, we are able to offer our courses at minimum prices, and free of VAT - to make knowledge available to as wide audience as possible.
Refund policy: See AIR courses main page
Enquiries
If you have any questions about this course please contact air (@gold.ac.uk) or call +44 (0)20 7078 5468.
For information on our upcoming short courses please sign up to our mailing list.
Tutor information
Fatos Selita
Fatos Selita
This course is directed by Fatos Selita, an English barrister and a New York State Attorney; with training in Psychology and Genetics; with over 11 years of experience in delivering advocacy and public speaking training internationally. Fatos delivers training on Decision Making and the Psychology of the Legal Process to lawyers and the judiciary in England and internationally; he directs the ‘Psychology and Law’ and ‘Psychology of Decision Making' courses. Fatos has also many years of experience in delivering training online and has received outstanding feedback from participants. Read more…
Learning outcomes
In this course you will learn about:
- Key factors affecting our actions and decisions in different contexts, for example persuasion, metaphor, language; individual differences; and conscious and unconscious biases.
- Impact of human mind features such as malleability of memory, attention and
- Impact of factors such as stress, mental health, misconceptions.
- When witness statements and testimony are reliable and when not.
- How to protect from internal influencing factors, such as biases, misconceptions, individual-specific characteristics.
- How to protect from external manipulations.
- Reliability of testimony and evidence provided by enforcement bodies.
- How to assess our decision-making.
- Distinguishing between conscious and unconscious decisions.
- How to apply knowledge of psychology into all stages of the justice process.
Course structure
The key elements of this course include:
1. General psychological phenomena affecting justice:
• External influences on our decision making (e.g. persuasion, metaphor, powerful language)
• Lying and lie detecting
• Dishonesty
• Mental health, including prevalence, effect on people and effect on our decision-making
• Memory
• Attention
2. Stops and searches:
• Conscious and unconscious interferes in the process
• Changing our decisions after learning we were wrong
3. Lineup identification:
• Suggestions during the process
• Stress
• Questions
• Special training of the person identifying
4. Witness testimony and witness statements:
• Witness discussions
• Time of event
• Impact of questioning
• Statements prepared by lawyers
• Statements after deliberations
• Preparations for witness testimony
• Questioning by advocates
• Impact of court pressures on different people
5. Police statements:
• Discussions with colleagues and at meetings
• Stress
• Pressures
• Attention
6. Advocate’s persuasion:
• Impact of persuasive advocacy
• When advocacy becomes a threat to justice
• Conscious and unconscious influences on jury and judiciary
7. Consciousness and free will:
• Conscious control over actions
• When is ‘will’ free
• Long term influences on free will
8. Role of individual differences in the process:
• Origin of individual difference (e.g. personality, including aggressiveness, honesty, politeness) and impact such differences have on our decisions
• When individual differences become a threat
• Discretion in sentencing and other decision making and its impact on justice
9. Using science (Psychology, neuroscience, genetics) to improve the justice process:
• Learning from the past
• How can relevant findings be incorporated
