Disorder in the courtroom: Child witnesses under cross-examination 

Cross-examination of child witnesses is often described as a “how not to” of child interviewing because it typically involves linguistically complex, leading, and confrontational questions. This presentation examines the effect of the cross-examination process on children’s testimony and considers some empirically based options for a way forward.

Dr Rachel Zajac is a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology Department at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Her research encompasses children’s and adults’ eyewitness testimony, social influences on memory, and psychological factors in the interpretation of forensic evidence.