How Accents Affect Our Perceptions Of Criminal Suspects

How Accents Affect Our Perceptions Of Criminal Suspects

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, have uncovered troubling evidence of accent-based bias in the UK’s criminal justice system. Negative stereotypes tied to accents, they argue, can influence every stage of the process—from arrest to sentencing—and affect not just defendants but also witnesses, undermining the fairness of trials. A particular concern is the risk of accented speakers be…