The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience · Scottish Legal Services
Polygraph Services for Solicitors in Edinburgh
Independent credibility assessment, statement verification and investigative support for legal professionals throughout Edinburgh and Scotland.
Supporting solicitors and advocates across Edinburgh and the Lothians with structured, documented polygraph examinations designed to assist case preparation, strategy, and informed decision-making.
Or contact us directly: +44 (0)7790 732828
Related Service
Looking for national guidance regarding solicitor-instructed polygraph examinations? Visit our Polygraph Services for Solicitors hub page for information on examination procedures, statement verification and legal applications.
Why Solicitors in Edinburgh Instruct Polygraph Examinations
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and the historic seat of Scottish legal authority. Parliament House, situated on the Royal Mile, is home to the Court of Session — the supreme civil court of Scotland — and the High Court of Justiciary, Scotland's highest criminal court. The city's legal quarter, centred around the Old Town, houses the Faculty of Advocates, the Advocates Library, and a dense concentration of established solicitors' practices with expertise spanning commercial law, financial services regulation, family law, and public sector work.
As the seat of the Scottish Government and home to numerous regulatory bodies, professional institutions, and public sector organisations, Edinburgh generates a distinctive demand for independent investigative services. Solicitors and advocates in the capital regularly manage matters in which the credibility of a party's account is central to the outcome — whether in contested family actions, commercial disputes, employment proceedings, or regulatory investigations.
The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience provides Edinburgh-based legal professionals with independent polygraph examinations and credibility assessment services. All examinations are conducted at suitable professional venues in Edinburgh arranged by appointment, and the process is adapted to reflect the conventions and requirements of Scottish legal practice.
Whilst polygraph examination results are not routinely admitted as evidence in Scottish courts, the structured information obtained may assist solicitors and advocates in evaluating the strength of a client's account, informing case strategy, supporting negotiation, and making informed decisions at critical stages of a matter.
Family Actions
Contested allegations in divorce, financial provision under the Family Law (Scotland) Act, and child welfare proceedings before Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Criminal Defence
Precognition support and defence preparation for solemn and summary proceedings in Edinburgh Sheriff Court and the High Court of Justiciary.
Employment Law
Employment Tribunal proceedings, workplace investigations, and disciplinary matters for Edinburgh employers and public sector organisations.
Commercial and Financial Services
Financial disputes, professional negligence, and regulatory compliance matters within Edinburgh's financial district and fund management sector.
Public Sector and Regulatory
Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, professional regulatory bodies, and fitness to practise proceedings within Edinburgh's institutional landscape.
Private Client
Succession disputes, trust administration, and contentious probate under Scots law, where the credibility of parties is materially in question.
Supporting Legal Professionals in Edinburgh
The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience supports solicitors and advocates throughout Edinburgh and the surrounding regions. Services are available by appointment.
Supporting legal professionals throughout Edinburgh and Scotland by appointment
Family Law Applications
Family actions in Edinburgh frequently involve contested allegations, disputed financial disclosures, and competing accounts of conduct or behaviour. Where credibility is central to the outcome of a family action, an independent assessment may assist the solicitor in evaluating the available information and advising their client.
Contested Allegations
Where one party denies specific allegations central to a family action — whether relating to conduct, cohabitation, or child welfare — credibility assessment may assist the solicitor in evaluating the strength of the available accounts before proceeding to proof.
Financial Disclosure
Where the completeness of financial disclosure is materially in dispute — whether under the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 or in relation to cohabitation claims — independent assessment may provide additional information to assist the solicitor's evaluation.
Civil Litigation and Commercial Disputes
Edinburgh is one of Europe's leading financial centres, home to major banks, insurance companies, investment managers, and professional services firms. The city's commercial environment generates complex disputes in which the credibility of parties and witnesses is frequently at the centre of proceedings.
Competing Factual Accounts
Where two or more parties provide contradictory versions of events within civil proceedings — whether contractual disputes, partnership disagreements, or professional negligence claims — an independent credibility evaluation may assist the solicitor in assessing the relative weight of each account.
Commercial Investigations
Internal investigations, fraud allegations, and compliance failures within Edinburgh's corporate and financial sector. Credibility assessment may assist solicitors managing the investigative phase of commercial disputes or regulatory referrals.
Statement Verification and Independent Credibility Assessment
Credibility assessment provides Edinburgh solicitors and advocates with an independent, structured evaluation that may complement existing investigative materials and inform the approach taken at each stage of a matter.
Independent Assessment
Conducted independently from the instructing party, providing objective assessment free from advocacy bias. The examiner's role is to assess credibility impartially, regardless of the outcome sought by the instructing solicitor or advocate.
Structured Methodology
Validated psychophysiological methods following American Polygraph Association and ASTM International standards. Every examination follows a documented, repeatable process designed for professional defensibility.
Detailed Reporting
Reports produced to the standard expected by solicitors, advocates and the courts. Each report documents the instruction, methodology, data analysis, and professional opinion in a clear, structured format.
Precognition Support
Credibility assessment may complement and inform the precognition process — a distinctive feature of Scottish legal practice — by providing an independent evaluation of a witness's or party's account before proof or trial.
Structured Examination Process
Every instruction follows a consistent, documented process. The methodology is transparent, repeatable, and designed to produce structured investigative information for the instructing solicitor or advocate.
Confidential Consultation
An initial discussion with the instructing solicitor or advocate to understand the nature of the matter, the specific issues in dispute, and the objectives of the instruction. No commitment is required at this stage.
Case Review and Suitability Assessment
A review of available documentation and background information, followed by a formal suitability assessment to determine whether the matter and the proposed examinee are appropriate for examination.
Examination Design
Questions formulated collaboratively with the instructing party, reviewed for methodological suitability, and designed to address the specific issues identified. No surprise questions are used at any stage.
Pre-Test Interview and Examination
A structured interview with the examinee followed by the psychophysiological examination itself. Non-invasive sensors record physiological data whilst the agreed questions are administered in a controlled, professional environment.
Analysis and Reporting
Physiological data is analysed using established forensic scoring methodologies. A structured, confidential written report is produced and provided directly to the instructing solicitor or advocate.
Professional Standards
Why Choose The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience
Investigative Psychology Foundation
Grounded in investigative psychology with structured statement analysis. Our approach integrates psychophysiological measurement with established principles of forensic and investigative psychology.
Expert Witness Capability
Dr Keith Ashcroft is qualified to provide expert witness testimony on credibility assessment. Available for oral evidence, professional consultation, and cross-examination as required by the instructing solicitor or advocate.
Established Record with Legal Professionals
Regular instructions from solicitors and advocates across all practice areas. See our services for lawyers for further information on how we support legal professionals.
UK-Based, Available Throughout Scotland
UK-registered company providing services across Scotland and nationally. Learn more about The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience and our professional foundations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Discuss a Case in Confidence
If you are a solicitor, advocate, or legal professional managing a matter in Edinburgh or Scotland in which credibility is in dispute, we invite you to contact The Centre for Forensic Neuroscience for a confidential, no-obligation consultation.
All enquiries are handled in confidence, subject to applicable law and professional obligations.