Conclusion

This week you learned more about the different experts involved in the investigation of a potential criminal case.

In England and Wales, the police oversee the investigation, which can vary between being straightforward or being very complex. The Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has oversight of a case and may lead discussions about what items recovered from the scene are prioritised for scientific analysis. In Scotland the investigation is overseen by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and a lawyer called a Procurator Fiscal, works together with the SIO in making decisions.

The crime scene investigator will identify, document, recover and package items (traces) from a crime scene, victim or suspect which may ultimately have evidential value. Their role is critical and needs to bring a scientific underpinning to the decisions they make at the scene around the items selected for recovery.

The forensic scientist documents, records and analyses the recovered traces / items to generate information and, potentially, scientific evidence. They provide expert opinion as to the meaning of the scientific evidence given competing hypotheses based on the case circumstances.

Next week we’ll see how the forensic evidence is used in the courtroom.

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