Ethics, Communication and Testimony in Court

Ética, Comunicação e Testemunho em Tribunal

Curse code:8059331

Ana Cristina Cardoso Das Neves

Learning outcomes of the curricular unit:

• Communicate information, ideas , problems and solutions to diverse audiences, through oral and written presentation.
• Discuss, evaluating and applying the law to situations of case studies based on real cases.
• Demonstrate communication skills and techniques that facilitate reliable testimony.
• Express clarity, ability to synthesize either in oral or in writing.
• Demonstrate confidence in the use of legal terminology.
• Check the non-verbal communication in stressful situations.
• Use the power of argument in defence of testimony.
• Demonstrate autonomy in ethical decision making.
• Respect the importance of ethical principles and ethical conduct related to its code in different contexts (e.g. research, expert evaluation, presentation of testimony in court and education).
• Demonstrate critical reflexibility within the Ethics.
• Contribute to the quality of services provided by professionals in the forensic and criminal science.

Syllabus:

1. The terminology used in court.
2. The expert and his testimony.
3. Theoretical foundations of human communication.
4. Non-verbal communication.
5. Strategies to manage stress and anxiety in potentially conflicting situations.
6. Communicational aspects to consider.
7. The codes of ethics of professional forensic and criminal science.
8. Ethical dilemmas in forensic and criminal sciences.

Suggested Bibliography:

• Beauchamp TL & Childress JF (1989) Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Oxford: Oxford. ISBN-10: 0195335708
• Jesus FM (2011) Meios de Obtenção da Prova em Processo Penal, Colecção Monografias, Coimbra: Almedina. ISBN: 9789724044286
• Lazarus R (1999) Stress and emotion - a new synthesis, London: Free Association Books. ISBN: 9780826102614
• Watzlawick P, Beavin JH & Jackson DD (1967) Pragmática da Comunicação Humana, São Paulo: Editora Cultrix. ISBN: 8531603145
• Penteado JRW (1997) A Técnica da Comunicação Humana, 13th ed., São Paulo: Livraria Pioneira Editora. ISBN: 8522100772