Use of modern lie detectors

Paul Gaffney made this Freedom of Information request to Suffolk Constabulary

Suffolk Constabulary did not have the information requested.

From: Paul Gaffney

19 March 2010

Dear Suffolk Constabulary,

In the West Criminal cases usually place the burden of proof on the
prosecutor (expressed in the Latinn brocard et incumbit probatio
qui dicit non que negat, "the burden of proof rests on who asserts,
not on who denies").One of the earliest attempts to quantifyy
reasonable doubt was a 1971 article by Rita Simon and Linda Mahan,
"Quantifying Burdens of Proof—A View from the Bench, the Jury, and
the Classroom." [8] In a later analysis of the question
("Distributiyns of Interest for Quantifying Reasonable Doubt and
Their Applications," 2006[9]) , three students at Valparaiso
University presented a trial to groups of students. Half of the
students decided the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The other
half recorded their perceived likelihood, given as a percentage,
that the defendant committed the crime. They then matched the
highest likelihoods of guilt with the guilty verdicts and the
lowest likelihoods of guilt with the innocent verdicts. From this,
the researchers gauged that the cutoff for reasonable doubt fell
somewhere between the highest likelihood of guilt matched to an
innocent verdict and the lowest likelihood of guilt matched to a
guilty verdict. From these samples, they concluded that the
standard was between 0.70 and 0.74.
All judges would however assert that such cannot be quantified as
that would conflict with their own qualitative judgement. Now most
criminal cases would turn on whether someone is lying. To leave
that judgement to a person would seem the last choice any person
would take. There are however various technologies other than the
old polygraph which can be used to quantify a person s assertion
that what they are saying is true.Below are three examples.

NITV for example is one of the leaders in voice stress analysis.
This can be used covertly to record and analyse someone’s voice for
lies.There are various competitors , cheaper versions are even
available for new generation of phones such as the Iphone. . Below
is the website.

http://www.cvsa1.com/

EEG-Electroencephalography is used to detect changes in brain
waves. The article below shows a journalist being tested. Such
technology could be available for the average consumer through
companies such as’ Emotive gaming’
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/artic...
fMRI- Functional MRI or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(fMRI) is a type of specialized MRI scan. It measures the
hemodynamic response (change in blood flow) related to neural
activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans or other animals. It
is one of the most recently developed forms of neuroimaging .It is
thought to be possible to use brain activity differences for truth
and lies. Below is an article that tells us something of its use.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/0...

Is the use of such technology
1)legal in Britain?
2)Admissable in court?
3)If not why not?

Yours faithfully,

Paul GaffneyLLB BA

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From: INFORMATION
Suffolk Constabulary

19 March 2010

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19 March 2010

Dear Mr Gaffney,

FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for Information, received at this office on 19
March 2010, in which you requested details of the following:

Use of NITV / FMRI / EEG in Force

Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within
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Yours sincerely,

Clair Louise Pack
Freedom of Information Coordinator

Suffolk Constabulary PHQ
01473 613919
[1][Suffolk Constabulary request email]
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From: INFORMATION
Suffolk Constabulary

7 April 2010

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7 April 2010

Dear Mr Gaffney,

Thank you for your request for information dated 19 March 2010 concerning:

Use of modern lie detectors in Force.

This is to inform you that all information relating to your request has
been collated my response is attached. This request is now complete and
shall be closed immediately.

Should any further information be requested regarding this topic, a
separate request will need to be submitted.

Should you need to discuss this further please contact Clair Pack, on
01473 613919.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Suffolk Constabulary.

Yours sincerely,

Clair Louise Pack
Freedom of Information Coordinator

Suffolk Constabulary PHQ
01473 613919
[1][Suffolk Constabulary request email]
Our Policing Pledge is a commitment from Suffolk Constabulary to the
public to provide the best possible service and make Suffolk a safer place
to live. It has 10 key themes and sets out the standards of service
Suffolk Constabulary aspires to deliver. See our Policing Pledge in full
by clicking on
[2]http://www.suffolk.police.uk/NR/rdonlyre...
To find out further information relating to your local Safer Neighbourhood
Team click on:
[3]http://www.safersuffolk.org.uk

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From: Paul Gaffney

26 April 2010

Dear INFORMATION,

Thank you for the reply.I shall deal with your response at a later
date.I am at the moment otherwise engaged.

Yours sincerely,

Paul GaffneyLLB BA

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