Question

What are some conflicts that may occur between law professionals and psychology professionals when it comes to juvenile defendants?

Answer 1

For the criminal division, both the psychologits and law professionals play and intergral role when it comes to defending juveniles. Psychologists provide expert psychological evaluations for both juveniles and adults in criminal cases. They also provide counseling and psychotherapy for juveniles accused of criminal acts, and post-conviction counseling for individuals on probation. Finally, psychologists provide counseling and psychotherapy for the victims of crimes, especially violent crimes.

Psychologists would not consider the use of psychics to be reliable or replicable. Lawyers and judges often rely on their own life experience or subjective opinions.

Stare decisis is a principle in law giving heavy weight to legal precedents, also known as case law; this is in conflict with the progressive nature of empirical psychological research. A psychologist gladly welcomes new data, even if it is in direct disagreement with previous “case law” research, while it is much less common to see an appeal court decision conflict with previous decisions.