Open research questions in Criminal Law and Policy
70 gap statements mined from Criminal Law and Policy papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 701 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.
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What the literature leaves open
The results highlight the role of specific stakeholders as policy entrepreneurs and indicate growing acceptance of harm reduction, although measures perceived as challenging the control-oriented track remain controversial.
This study has some limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. Finally, a limitation of this study concerns the depth of the qualitative component. These interacting influences may help explain why participants reported relatively stable resilience despite the demands of training and warrant further investigation in future research.
The Views, Experiences, Wellbeing, and Resilience of Trainee Forensic Psychologists on a Forensic Psychology Practice Doctorate in the UK · 2026 · DOIFuture research could explore the application of the condition of disturbing public peace in other jurisdictions. It could examine the impact of this condition on individual rights and social peace.
It highlights the need for a comparative perspective with Turkish criminal law.
However, because nearly all evaluations relied on single-group pre-post or quasi-experimental designs, these results should be read as evidence of feasibility and acceptability rather than comparative effectiveness, and the concentration of this evidence in well-resourced health systems leaves open the question as to whether the gains are replicable where simulation infrastructure is scarce.
Although participants initially appeared in favor of the forensic use of DNA, particularly in regard to the collection of DNA from sex offenders, perceptions and attitudes were based on limited knowledge of processes, policies, and implications.
There is a need for a more effective approach to writing forensic mental health reports. The current approach may not provide judges with the most accurate and informative information.
The book lacks a comprehensive presentation of the scientific literature on the effects of hypnosis on memory. The book offers a narrow and biased viewpoint on the potential usefulness of hypnosis in forensic institutions.
The book's failure to adequately review the scientific literature is a significant limitation.
The law continues to assume that traditional concepts are proper subjects for psychiatric deliberation. The limits of psychiatry in determining diminished responsibility and dangerousness are uncertain.
The forensic psychiatrists responding to the survey indicated that a substantial majority had limited knowledge of the various Rorschach systems, 18 in terms either of their use by the psychiatrists' psychological consultants (approximately 68% stated no knowledge), or of the significant variations among Rorschach systems.
Further exploration of ethical issues in forensic psychiatry is needed. The role of philosophers in analyzing ethical issues in forensic psychiatry should be further studied.
There is a need for awareness and concern about ethical issues in forensic psychiatry. The unique aspects of ethical issues in forensic psychiatry need to be explored.
The challenge of ensuring that forensic scientists have the necessary credentials and experience. The challenge of balancing the need for expert testimony with the potential for error in interpreting evidence.
The need for specialized analysis and expertise. The importance of detecting unsuspected cases of murder by poisoning.
Prosecutorial use of drug-induced homicide (DIH) laws varies, and their public health impacts are poorly understood.
Prosecuting overdose: An exploratory study of prosecutorial motivations for drug-induced homicide prosecutions in North Carolina · 2024 · DOIIt notes that prior work has not provided a clear understanding of this distinction.
Kranke und kriminelle Verteilungslogik: Täuschungsgrad, Kostenrichtung und die drei Nullen des Selbstabgleichs · 2026 · DOIThe examination of psychiatric credentials is often cursory. The lawyer's failure to inquire further may reflect his difficulty in knowing just what to ask to establish the skills of the witness.
Some of the guidelines are general, addressed to forensics educators regardless of educational setting or level: 1. Qualifications for all forensics educators. a. Specific formal instruction in argumentation. b. Participation at the college level in the forensics activities which the teacher will direct. c. A course in philosophy and methods of directing forensics. Recommendations for continuing professional growth.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of trends in the implementation of teaching tasks and expert activities of university forensic medicine departments.
Trendy w obszarze działalności eksperckiej i dydaktycznej uniwersyteckich zakładów medycyny sądowej w latach 2011-2024 · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the understanding of the events of 16 December 1981.
Examinations of the Victims of the Pacification of Striking Miners at the ‘Wujek’ Coal Mine on 16 December 1981 in the Materials and Recollections of the Staff of the Department of Forensic Medicine in Katowice = Badania ofiar pacyfikacji strajkujących pracowników kopalni węgla kamiennego „Wujek” 16 grudnia 1981 r. w materiałach i wspomnieniach pracowników Zakładu Medycyny Sądowej w Katowicach · 2026 · DOIThe paper notes that sentencing is a complex and challenging topic, - The paper mentions the need for further precise attention to the topic…
Research is needed to develop more effective forensic assessment instruments - Research is needed to improve the credibility of expert testimony in competency…
Further study on the training and credentials of crime scene technicians. Analysis of the effectiveness of different training methods for crime scene technicians. Examination of the role of forensic scientists in the court-approved truth-seeking process.
Undertaking more research projects and public programs. Exploring alternatives to the tournament system. Developing stronger ties with the curriculum.
Most-cited papers in Criminal Law and Policy
- The Hierarchy of the Sciences? · American Journal of Sociology · 1983 · 374 citations
- Specialty guidelines for forensic psychologists. · Law and Human Behavior · 1991 · 341 citations
- Irreconcilable conflict between therapeutic and forensic roles. · Professional Psychology Research and Practice · 1997 · 217 citations
- Assessment Practices and Expert Judgment Methods in Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry · Criminal Justice and Behavior · 2014 · 159 citations
- Evidentiary Standards for Forensic Anthropology* · Journal of Forensic Sciences · 2009 · 153 citations
- The practice of forensic psychology: A look toward the future in light of the past. · American Psychologist · 2002 · 127 citations
- Unanalyzed evidence in law‐enforcement agencies · Criminology & Public Policy · 2010 · 127 citations
- Forensic Case Formulation · International Journal of Forensic Mental Health · 2011 · 126 citations
- Statistics for the investigation of individual cases · Journal of Clinical Psychology · 1957 · 118 citations
- Kumho,Daubert, and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry: Implications for Forensic Anthropology* · Journal of Forensic Sciences · 2008 · 109 citations
Most recent work
- Einführung in die Grundlagen des Strafrechts : · 2026
- Kranke und kriminelle Verteilungslogik: Täuschungsgrad, Kostenrichtung und die drei Nullen des Selbstabgleichs · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- Wahrheit als Einigung (WAE°) — vom Beschluss zur operativen Wahrheit · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- The short-term impacts of the decriminalization of personal possession of select illegal drugs on drug possession criminal incidents and criminal cases in British Columbia, Canada (2013 to 2023) · International Journal of Drug Policy · 2026
- Outcomes and implications of British Columbia’s ‘drug decriminalization initiative’ for health-oriented drug policymaking · International Journal of Drug Policy · 2026
- Police experiences with cannabis legalization and perceptions of broader drug policy reform · International Journal of Drug Policy · 2026
- On the participation of specialists in the disclosure and investigation of serious, especially serious criminal offenses committed with the use of explosive devices (part I) · Прикарпатський юридичний вісник · 2026
- Patient perspectives on general practitioners in forensic psychiatric wards · Nordic Journal of Psychiatry · 2026
- Perspectives on knowledge-producing responsibility in forensic death investigations: a new way to approach professional knowledge work · Journal of Professions and Organization · 2026
- Psychological Motives and Modus Operandi in Homicide Mutilation and Dismemberment: A Comparative Analysis of Five Indian Cases (1995–2024) · Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice · 2026
Find a gap in your own Criminal Law and Policy sub-topic
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