Browsing: Forensics

There is still a lack of sufficient empirical studies that conclusively establish the uniqueness of fingerprints, argue two South African criminologists. They recommend courts take a cautious approach when determining the reliability of fingerprint and other forensic evidence.

Nine years ago, the UK’s national police service tried to save money by bidding out its forensic work to a private company. A recent report documented a long list of failures ―a lesson worth noting by budget-conscious American reformers, writes a former UK detective who has led major forensics investigations.

In the latest challenge to a field that critics call “junk dressed up as scientific analysis,” a Maryland law professor says the widespread misuse of forensic evidence deepens racial bias in the justice system. In a forthcoming paper, she calls for developing a new approach less weighted towards prosecution.

Described as the “wild west” of forensics, the digital evidence extracted from mobile phones and other electronic devices is vulnerable to analysts’ unconscious biases that can lead to miscarriages of justice, according to a new study.

American courtrooms are hampered by continued reliance on poorly validated and often “junk” forensic science. A new UK law creating a national regulator to set forensic standards might point the way for change, writes a British detective.

The criminal justice system’s reliance on forensic evidence to determine guilt needs to be re-examined, panelists told a webinar hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. One asserted that forensic evidence should stay out of the courtroom until it is proven reliable.