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Too soon for neuroscience to influence the law?

The use of certain neuroscientific findings as evidence in court should be approached with great caution, according to a report published by the Royal Society.

The authors emphasise the need for a forum in the UK which would bring together neuroscientists and legal professionals to discuss advances and identify practical applications.

Areas of interest considered in the report include the use of imaging studies as independent evidence of the severity of someone’s pain for civil cases, the possibility of using brain scans to “read minds” and determine if someone is telling the truth, and how neuroscience might add to the evidence base in cases of Non-Accidental Head Injury (NAHI) or Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) in infants.

Read more at Royal Society

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