Psychology and the Justice System

Code:

PJD03

Acronym:

PSJ

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Psychology

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master Degree in Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MPSI	32	Plano de Estudos 2021	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

This course aims to promote the knowledge about Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Justice, Psychology of Testimony, among others; to provide an insight into the Portuguese Justice System/Legal and Penal System and compare it with other justice systems; to understand the relationships between Psychology and the Justice System; reflect on the origin and development of the main practices of psychologists in the justice system, the historical continuities that persist and how they affect the current practices of the psychologists who work there, as well as the ethical, scientific and technical challenges that forensic or justice psychology faces today. Similarly, social responsibility and its association with intervention in this area will also be discussed, as well as the biases of the justice system, the effects of social inequality and diversity on the application of justice, and the need to promote inclusion.

 

It also aims to impart knowledge about the role of the psychologist in the justice system and the necessary competences for psychologists to intervene in the various subsystems of the justice system (e.g., forensic psychological assessment, intervention in prisons, psycho-educational and psychological prevention and intervention programmes, juvenile educational centers, child promotion and protection institutions, rehabilitation), knowledge and skills related to forensic psychological assessment in different areas and with different populations (criminal, child and family, defendants, victims, etc); knowledge about testimony in court, the dimensions that affect it and its role in the judicial decision making, the contact of particularly vulnerable witnesses, especially children, with the justice system.

These classes are therefore committed to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals 16 - “Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies” and 3 - “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the UC students should:

1. Have the necessary theoretical knowledge to understand the origin, development and practices of the psychology / psychologists in the justice system. To know the current models of restorative justice and of "therapeutic justice".

2. Possess basic skills to:

a) Understand the role of the psychologist in the Justice System, intervene in different subsystems of the judicial system (e.g., prisons, educational centres, forensic psychological evaluation services, police and police investigation, profiling), as well as to network and to work in multidisciplinary teams. Contribute to combating inequalities and their potential impact on the application of justice, counteract prejudices and stereotypes, and promote social inclusion.

b) Know how a forensic psychological assessment is carried out in different fields (criminal, civil, family, etc.) and with different populations (children, adults, victims, defendants, parents, ...). Have the minimum competences to carry out this assessment and to write a forensic expertise report.

c) Understand the multiple variables that affect the judicial decision and the particular importance of the forensic pertise and of the expert testimony. Have the necessary competences to testify as an expert in court.

d) Know the different types of forensic interview. Understand the child's contact with the justice system and the need to implement specific mechanisms for hearing children (and other particularly vulnerable victims) in court and to protect them from secondary victimisation. Know how to interview child victims in forensic sets.

e) Understand the main contributes of the Investigative Psychology to the work of police officers and to the criminal investigation.

Working method

Presencial

Program

 - Contributions of Psychology to the Justice System; historical evolution and current situation / practices.

- Psychology of Justice, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Psychology, Witness Psychology and Investigative Psychology.

- The role of the psychologist in the Justice System. Framework of the psychologist's activities in the Justice System.

- The Portuguese legal and penal system and its comparison with other countries.

- The contact with the justice system and the secondary victimization processes.

- Judicial decision making and the contributions of the Forensic Psychology. Extralegal variables that influence judicial decision.
- Social responsibility and its association with intervention in this area; potential biases in the justice system; stereotypes and prejudices that affect it; effects of social inequality and diversity on the application of justice; promotion of social inclusion.

- Emotions, memory and testimony; emotions and judgment.

- The specific role of the psychologist in Prisons, Educational Centres, Courts, Police, Criminal Investigation, including the Forensic Assessment, the Forensic Interview, the Hearing of particularly vulnerable Victims, the Psychological Support during the contact of the victims (adults and children) with the justice system.

- Forensic psychological assessment in different domains (criminal, civil, family; assessment of victims, of defendants, parents, children, etc.) - characteristics, stages, grids, models and instruments used. Ethical, deontological, technical and  scientific implications.

- Current challenges to the Psychology of Justice or Forensic Psychology, such as the forensic assessment of people with disabilities, of people from other cultures or religions, the over-judicialization of the current life, the use of psychology knowledge in the interrogation and torture of prisoners, among others.

- Different models of judicial and psycho-judicial intervention, punishment, and social rehabilitation.

Mandatory literature

Bartol, C & Bartol, A. M. (2021). ; Introduction to Forensic Psychology(6ª ed)., Sage. , 2021
Davies, G.M.; Beech, A.R. & Colloff, M.F. (Eds, 2023).; Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions., Wiley-Blackwell, 4th Edition., 2023. ISBN: 978-1-119-89202-1.
Crighton, D.A. & Towl, G.J. (Eds, 2021). ; Forensic Psychology (3rd Edition)., Wiley-Blackwell., 2021
Matos, M., Gonçalves, R. & Machado, C. (Eds., 2011). ; Manual de Psicologia Forense., Braga: Ed. Psiquilibrios., 2011
Machado. C. & Gonçalves, R.A. (Coord., 2005).; Psicologia Forense., Coimbra: Quarteto Editora., 2005
Goldstein, A. M. (2007).; Forensic psychology: Emerging topics and expanding roles., New York: Wiley , 2007
Kelly, C.E., & Meissner, C.A. (2014). ; Interrogation and Investigative Interviewing in the United States: Research and Practice. In D. Walsh et al. (Eds), Contemporary Developments and Practices in Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation, Vol. II. , New York: Routledge, 2014

Complementary Bibliography

Bartol Curt R.; Criminal behavior. ISBN: 0-13-192766-3
Hess Allen K. 340; The^handbook of forensic psychology. ISBN: 0-471-17771-7
Eisen, M.L.; Quas, J.A. & Goodman, G.S. (Eds., 2002).; Memory and Suggestibility in the Forensic Interview., New Jersey: Laurence Erlbaum., 2002
Shapiro David L.; Forensic psychological assessment. ISBN: 0-205-12521-2
Brewer, N. & Williams, K. D. (2005, Eds.); Psychology and law. An empirical perspective., New York: The Guilford Press., 2005
Fradella, H. & Sumner, J. (Eds.) ; Sex, Sexuality, Law and (In)Justice. , London: Routledge., 2016
Jackson, R. & Roesch, R. (Eds.) ; Learning Forensic Assessment. , London: Routledge (second edition)., 2016

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Theoretical classes.

- Theoretical-practical classes with active participation of students, individually and in groups.

- Some classes with invited lecturers - professionals within the fields of Law, Police and Criminal Investigation, Forensic Psychology, Social Security, etc. – in order to enrich students’ understanding of their professional activity.

- Theoretical-practical work on the different areas of intervention of the psychologist in the judicial system.

- Practical work - going to a Court for observation and analysis of a real trial.

- Viewing and discussion of videos, news, and other materials related to the course content.

- Independent study, including research and literature search, in order to facilitate the assimilation of contents of the Psychology-Justice relationship and the Psychologist’s role in the judicial system.

- Tutorial supervision of the students work.

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho de campo	30,00
Trabalho escrito	40,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	30,00
Frequência das aulas	46,00
Trabalho de campo	46,00
Trabalho escrito	40,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

- Students’ attendance in each class will be monitored. Students must attend 75% of the total number of classes taught. In exceptional cases, legally foreseen, the traditional class attendance may be substituted by the submission of a research assignment. 

- In accordance with the regulation of evaluation, students must have a minimum grade of 10 points to obtain final approval (none of the assessment components can sum less than 8 points). The failure to achieve the minimum score of 10 points implies non approval in the discipline and the obligation to repeat the evaluation

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade expressed on a scale of 0 to 20.

A. 30% of the final grade results from the individual fieldwork carried out by students to establish contacts with courts, identify and select one of the courts, identify trials open to the public, schedule and travel to the court to attend one (or more than one) trial session (which may be trial sessions at different stages of the proceedings and in different areas, such as criminal, juvenile and family, and civil).

It corresponds to "Fieldwork" assessment component (30%).


B. 70% of the final grade results from an individual theoretical-practical assignment, prepared throughout the semester, which involves attending one or more court sessions and subsequently writing a text that includes a descriptive component, a personal reflection on the experience, and a reflective analysis, integration, and theoretical framework

It corresponds to the "Written work" (40%) and "Practical or project work" (30%) assessment components.

Examinations or Special Assignments

In the legally provided situations, in which students cannot carry out the same assignments that their colleagues will present, they must negotiate with the responsible teacher the delivery of an alternative work, with the same objectives and an equivalent content.

This alternative should be agreed with the responsible teacher at the beginning of the semester.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In exceptional cases, foreseen in the regulations or in cases duly justified and accepted as valid by the School competent committees, students may be evaluated outside the usual context and regular calendar, through the completion of a written assignment with a content similar to what other students have done.

In these cases, the student should contact the teacher responsible for the discipline at the beginning of the semester to define the rules and methodologies of the alternative evaluation.

Classification improvement

There is a possibility of reformulating the individual written work, once, until the “época de recurso” of the following school year in which the student obtained the approval.