THE IMPORTANCE OF EYEWITNESS EVIDENCE

Abstract

Eyewitness testimony is an important source of evidence for the judiciary system. Eyewitnesses can provide a detailed account of an event from their perspective. Eyewitness testimony is important as it provides evidence for criminal investigations. It can also provide evidence for personal injury cases. Eyewitnesses can also be an important prospect to identify the accused persons. However, eyewitness testimony can be reliable and lead to wrong convictions, such as human memory does not work as a video recorder and it is vulnerable to missing details. Eyewitness testimony can also be influenced by presenting information to the witness after the event. There are also other factors regarding the bias of the witness, such as the witness may have a bias against the defendant. This report has highlighted the role of eyewitnesses in legal procedures. It has also emphasised that eyewitnesses serve as a deciding factor for crime. This report has also highlighted the psychology of eyewitnesses in judiciary settings. Psychologists have mentioned that the confidence of eyewitnesses can significantly disturb the memory and description process. This report has highlighted reliance on legal procedures and the importance of DNA tests in eyewitness testimony. This research has also highlighted different strengths and limitations of eyewitnesses.