3.1 Trust generation
This activity looks at trust generation in the crime scene and laboratory practices.
Activity 4 Trust in the forensic process
a.
yes
b.
no
c.
I don’t know
The correct answer is a.
Answer
Though forensic evidence has historically been trusted, some high profile mishaps that have resulted in decreases in trust.
The mishaps could occur at different points in the forensic process from the crime scene to the laboratory. This could be in any of the following:
- contamination
- expert misconduct
- bias of experts
- inaccurate analysis
- unqualified examiners and analysts
- unvalidated techniques
- other
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Learn more about this here:
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In the USA, research shows that although members of the public believe forensic science remains a key part of criminal investigation, they perceive a high risk of error ‘about half of the time at each stage’ of the forensic process. This makes the public sceptical about the accuracy of some forensic science techniques (Kaplan, et al., 2020). Generally, errors in forensic science can be caused by practitioner, analytical or systemic failures and may contribute to wrongful convictions. These mistakes are therefore drivers of distrust.
To help mitigate this, oversight and regulatory measures have been established in many jurisdictions, such as the Forensic Science Regulator in England and Wales and the Organisation of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science in the USA. These bodies aim to ensure and improve the quality and reliability of forensic evidence provision, such as by establishing quality standards, ensuring accreditation of forensic science service providers (FSPs), competency of practitioners and investigating and sanctioning FSPs for failures and practices that do not meet required standards.