- Question
Should polygraphs be admissible in court?
Once called "the strip searches of the mind", polygraph test creators maintain that their lie detectors can detect when a suspect is lying in 80-95% of cases. Should we use them in the justice system to secure convictions? Or are polygraphs a dangerous and gross violation of a suspect's legal rights?
Yes, polygraphs should be allowed in court
This position holds that polygraphs should be admissible in court. It argues that lie detectors help determine a subject's truthfulness and often induce confessions, that they are already used elsewhere in law, and that technology should aid the justice system's search for truth.
No, lie detectors should not be admissible in court
This position holds that polygraphs should not be admissible in court. It argues lie detectors are not accurate enough for legal proceedings, carry inherent racial bias, usurp the jury's role in judging credibility, and infringe the right against self-incrimination.