This master's thesis deals with the importance of heuristics in criminal law. Heuristics are cognitive mechanisms that allow us to make quick, automatic judgements without undue mental effort, but can also cause biases at times. The master's thesis identifies the impact of heuristics on decision- making in criminal proceedings, where impartiality of trial is one of the fundamental rights and decisions are considered to be made thoughtfully, rationally and impartially. This is addressed by a general overview of the characteristics of different heuristics and related cognitive biases that systematically occur in the decision-making processes of individuals and then identifies their influence on judges and other subjects in criminal proceedings.
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