Judges, lawyers and students can finally have the definitive reference book on the intersection of law and neuroscience, and none-too-soon in an era where lawyers are increasingly offering and judges are confronting various forms of neuroscientific evidence.
From litigation against the NFL for concussions suffered by its players to defense attorneys appealing for leniency because of various brain conditions, complicated issues involving law and neuroscience are plentiful. , written by an interdisciplinary team supported by the , is the first reference work to be published in the field.
鈥淲e felt the legal system needed an introduction to the relevant science, a comprehensive treatment of the many challenging issues that arise and some help navigating a careful path between the potential promise of using neuroscientific insights in legal contexts, on one hand, and the many perils to be avoided, on the other,鈥� said of , author of Law and Neuroscience with E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Neuroscience at Vanderbilt University and of the .
The book, published by , has four stated purposes:
- to introduce readers to how brain science is (and is not) already being used in a number of legal contexts;
- to provide a user-friendly foundation for understanding how the human brain works, and how new techniques are being used to study, monitor and manipulate the brain;
- to examine pathways by which neuroscience may aid (or, if misused, hinder) the legal system; and
- to help readers think critically about the present status and future possibilities of the intersection of law and neuroscience.
鈥淲ith the publication of this landmark book, the field of law and neuroscience has come of age,鈥� said , Distinguished Professor of Law, professor of psychology and psychiatric medicine at the . 鈥淭heir analysis is as trenchant as their coverage is broad, spanning topics as diverse as lie-detection, judging, emotions, memory and the adolescent brain.鈥�
The book is augmented with with a variety of useful resources, and a portal for posting future, electronic-only chapters on additional topics.