The Summer School on Crime, Law and Psychology is a one week program designed to bring undergraduate and graduate students of various nationalities and academic backgrounds (sociology, psychology, criminology and legal studies) from the USA, Eastern and Western Europe and other parts of the world to learn more about the interrelation of psychology, law and crime.

The importance of legal and psychological approaches in dealing with criminal behavior has recently become a topic for debate among scientists as well as practitioners in the criminal justice system. Psychology and law have different visions of the problem, but their intersection constitutes an important reference when dealing with criminal behaviors of individuals. In addition, methods of research used in psychology can be addressed to inform the practices and processes of the criminal justice system. In both cases, psychological knowledge is a valuable source of information, the use of which could prevent unjust situations enforced by law. The CLP is designed to bring together the issues connecting crime, psychology and law and demonstrate the significance of this connection in dealing with criminality.

The academic program is central to the design and purpose of CLP. As a part of our program, students will gain knowledge about the application of psychological approaches and research methods in the processes and practices of the criminal justice system. Courses on eyewitness testimony, false and recovered memories, identification evidence and the legal process, wrongful convictions and false confessions will enable students to understand the importance of scientific knowledge in order to avoid biased court procedures and unjust sentences.

The aim of the program is, therefore, to provide students with a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge on the role of psychological knowledge in the criminal justice system by listening to professors from the UK’s best universities and to engage in interactive debates with guest lectures, practitioners and fellow students. By participating in CLP, students will benefit not only from enhancing their intellectual resources, but also from sharing ideas with other students during the class discussions and various social events. Exposure to intercultural experience is also a key element of the program.