Professor Becky Milne
With over 200 publications (H-Index 57, with over 11,000 citations), her research as a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist has concerned the best ways to access reliable testimony, especially from those deemed most vulnerable, by developing novel communication techniques. Jointly with practitioners, she has helped to create procedures that improve the quality of interviews of witnesses, victims, intelligence sources, and suspects.
She works closely with the police (and other criminal justice organisations), creating practical solutions based on research, developing training, running interview courses, co-writing National Guidance (e.g. The Achieving Best Evidence Guidance, MoJ) and providing case advice (e.g. London Bridge terror attacks, War Crimes Team, Southport case, Sarah Everard case). She is the Founder and Director of the Centre of Forensic Interviewing, an internationally recognised centre of excellence. She has supervised over 30 Doctorate students to successful completion, the majority being practitioners within the CJS from all over the world (e.g. Australia, Brazil, Norway, UAE, USA).
She was awarded the National accolade of Research Supervisor of the Year – Highly Commended by the Times Higher Education (December 2022). She is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Police Science and Management. She was given the ACPO Tom Williamson award for her outstanding achievements in the field of investigative interviewing by NPCC in April 2009 and in 2026 the Tom Williamson Lifetime Achievement Award by IIRG. In 2020 she was the sole awardee of the British Psychology Society Award for Excellence in Forensic Psychology Research. She is the UK MC Representative for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) project- Establishing Networks to Implement the Mendez Principles.
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Professor Milne has recently announced the second edition of Investigative Interviewing: Psychology and Practice, co-authored with Ray Bull, scheduled for November 2025. This updated edition offers valuable insights into conducting interviews with vulnerable persons, including children and individuals with learning disabilities, and includes her expertise as a contributor who is a leader in her field. Learn more about this work here.
Professor Milne, the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Police Science & Management, has been in the spotlight recently for her contributions to policing science. A newly released commemorative issue explores the past, present, and future of the field while highlighting her significant influence in shaping the discipline of forensic interviewing. Read the 25th Anniversary Issue here.
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Professor Milne’s research is focused on advancing police interviewing and investigative processes.
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Walsh, D., Areh, I., Barela, S., Boukalav, H., Bull, R., Chung, L. K., Cusack, A., Daly, Y., Djelkic, I., Fahsing, I., Fazlic, A., Haworth, K., Heydon, G., Holewik, K., Ivanovic, Z., Izotovas, A., Kask, K., Kelly, C. E., . . . Milne, R., . . . Vanderhallen, M. (2025). A co-ordinated global initiative to enhance interview practice. Investigative Interviewing: Research and Practice. 15(1). https://iiirg.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IIRP_20250303_Walsh_Final-1.pdf
Chenier, K., Shawyer, A., Milne, R., & Williams, A. (2025). Interviewing Indigenous adults reporting historical child sexual abuse: The effect of question types on eliciting descriptive answers and details. Child Abuse and Neglect. 165. Article 107492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107492
Lino, D., Milne, R., Fahsing, I., & Roazzi, A. (2025). Creating a gold-standard for investigative interviewing with suspects: A Delphi study. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2025.2524428
May, B., Milne, R., & Bull, R. (2025). Applying cognitive psychology to crime investigation. In D. Groome. (Ed.), An Introduction to Applied Cognitive Psychology.
May, B., Milne, R., Palace, M., Dalton. G., Meenaghan, A., & Terbeck, S. (2025). Virtue, choice, and storytelling: How ethics, decision modalities and narrative framing influence decision inertia in a 360 degree extended reality environment. Cognition, Technology and Work. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-025-00815-8
May, B., Palace, M., Milne, R., Shortland, N., Dalton, G., Meenaghan, A., Fryatt, L., & Shawyer, A. (2025). An exploratory thematic analysis of the decision challenges faced by emergency responders during the 2017 Manchester Arena attacks. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2025.2514540
Milne, R. (2024). 25 years special edition: It’s coming home. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 26(4), 397-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/14613557241298841
May, L., Fahsing, I., Kelly, C. E., Barela, S., Milne, R., & Bull, R. (in press). What is investigative interviewing (and what is it not)? A primer on the ethos of suspect interviewing [Special edition]. Journal of Criminal Psychology.
Vaughan, M., Milne, R., Cherryman, J., & Dalton, G. (2024). The role of the Interview Manager (IM) in UK policing: Perceptions and experiences of the IM when deployed in high stakes crime investigations. Policing and Society, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2024.2403698
O'Mahony, B., Milne, R., & Smith, K. (2024). The use of intermediaries (communication specialists) at Parole Board oral hearings in England and Wales. The Journal of Forensic Practice, 26(2), 129-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfp-04-2024-0012
Vaughan, M., Milne, R., Dalton, G., & Vernham, Z. (in press). Supporting a vulnerable suspect through the use of Appropriate Adults in high-stakes crime investigations managed by an Interview Manager: Do they really provide a safeguard in an investigative interview? Investigative Interviewing: Research and Practice.
May, B., Milne, R., Dalton, G., Meenaghan, A., & Shawyer, A. (2024). An exploratory study on manifesting decision-inertia in a 360-degree immersive terrorist incident. Cognition, Technology and Work, 26(3), 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-024-00761-x
Vaughan, M., Milne, R., Cherryman, J., & Dalton, G. (2024). Managing investigative interviews with vulnerable suspects in the UK: Do specialist Interview Managers (IM’s) understand vulnerability? Psychology, Crime & Law, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2024.2341078
Dos Santos Zavattaro, M., Milne, R., Bull, R., & Stein, L. M. (in press). Forensic interviewing of children in Brazil: Judges' perceptions after five years of law reform. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Criminais.
Risan, P., Skoglund, T. H., & Milne, R. (2024). The challenges of interviewing suspects displaying disruptive behaviors - An explorative study of police interviewers’ beliefs. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2024.2404846
Chenier, C. L., Shawyer, A., Williams, A., & Milne, R. (2024). Historical child sexual abuse cases reported to the police by Indigenous adults in a northern Canadian territory: An exploration of factors affecting the likelihood of charges and convictions. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2024.2331146
Dando, C., Jones, A., Harvey, N., & Milne, R. (2024). Orochi impact formula: An evidence-based approach for quantifying the societal harm of county lines drug supply. The Police Journal, 0(0), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X241239017
Korkman, J., Otgaar, H., Geven, L., Bull, R., Cyr, M., Hershkowitz, I., Makela, J.-M., Mattison, M., Milne, R., Santilla, P. O., van Koppen, P., Memon, A., Danby, M., Filipovic, L., Garcia, F., Gewehr, E., Jarvilehto, L., Kask, K., Korner, A., . . . Volbert, R. (2024). White paper on forensic child interviewing: Research-based recommendations by the European Association of Psychology and Law. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1-44. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2024.2324098