Perspectives

Neuroscience in criminal courts

This part of the study guide will help you expand your perspective on the article “Bad or Mad?” by Sean Spence by looking at the controversy surrounding the use of neuroscience in justice courts.

There are different point of views on using neuroscience when assessing a crime and evaluating a criminal’s responsibility in committing a crime. Many believe neuroscience can provide important data that would improve the way in which justice is carried out, because it offers a new perspective on the circumstances of a crime.

To distinguish false from true memories, for example, neuroimaging methods such as fMRI – a method in which Spence carried out important research – are thought to be valuable by some. fMRI lie detection technology has advanced over the years and is thought to be much more reliable than the polygraph (lie detector) method, which is not used in most courts any longer. However, further research into fMRI is still needed because different studies have reached different conclusions on the method’s ability to accurately distinguish lies from truth. 

The use of neuroscience in ...