***This program qualifies for 1.5 hours of substantive CPD credits.***

Who—and what—can we believe in today’s courtroom? In the medico-legal arena, credibility is the currency on which cases rise or fall, yet the standards for assessing it continue to evolve. While long-standing markers have guided credibility for decades, today’s courtroom faces new pressures that are changing the equation.

This session explores how psychological science, recent case law, media pressures, and technological change (including AI) are reshaping how we assess credibility. Participants will engage with interactive polls and scenarios to test their own intuitions against research and judicial reasoning.

The program concludes with a moderated panel discussion with experts in psychiatry and psychology, examining how modern challenges intersect with enduring dynamics of credibility. Attendees will leave with practical tools to sharpen their argued cases and expert reports, protect against attacks on their opinions, and enhance the persuasiveness and defensibility of their work in real-world proceedings.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify the psychological and legal factors that influence credibility assessments in the courtroom.
• Analyze recent case law and research that illustrate how credibility standards are shifting under modern pressures with the influence of artificial intelligence.
• Evaluate situations where markers of credibility continue to hold weight.
• Apply insights from psychology and law to personal case scenarios in the courtroom.
• Discuss how emerging technologies, particularly AI, may be used to support your practice.