Freedom from Torture advisor Professor Amina Memon is awarded the ESRC Outstanding Impact in Society prize

Freedom from Torture is delighted that Professor Amina Memon has been awarded the 2017 prize of the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) for her impact on public policy. The prize includes a £10,000 research grant.

Professor Memon is Professor of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London. Over 25 years she has significantly influenced UK public policy and practice, especially in the fields of investigative interviewing by police and authorities of eyewitnesses and vulnerable individuals, including children and asylum seekers. She is a member of Freedom from Torture’s Research and Ethics Committee.

Susan Munroe, CEO of Freedom from Torture, says:

“Our warmest congratulations to Amina for this recognition of her work over a quarter of a century of public service.

Asylum seekers face huge challenges proving the credibility of their accounts and providing proof of torture is not straightforward. Amina’s work on how to elict statements from witnesses is of huge benefit to the Home Office as it can guide them on how to assess credibility and this is particularly important in looking at appeal cases where individuals were not granted asylum.

Amina’s expertise has helped us to raise the standard of research carried out within Freedom from Torture and also ensure that all research conducted on our behalf or using our clients or their data is to the highest possible standards of research methodology and ethics.”