The (UK) government's vision for forensic science
in the criminal justice system.
First published 11 March 2016
Available
This document sets out the government’s vision for the future of forensic science.
It is relevant to
- police forces (especially forensic service providers, crime scene investigators and scientific support managers)
- wider criminal justice system bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and the Criminal Case Review Board
- politicians (especially those on the Science and Technology Committees)
- the wider general public
Hi,
Having read through it there isn't much I didn't expect to see.
I've worked in three different digital laboratories, the last of which was very pro ISO17025 and has been pursuing it actively for about 4 years. They were going for imaging to opinion based evidence at court and everything in between. As a consequence I've seen first hand the potential influence that standard is likely to have on our field.
There were quite a few assumptions in the document which I think are founded on bad advice or incorrect information and there were references to what sounded like recent innovations but I was doing that 12 years ago and it isn't actually anything new.
I also sense a little commercial influence in there but I don't want to say too much on that point.
There are many good things in the document but these are very obvious things and I can't imagine every service/constabulary isn't doing all of that already.
My overarching response to reading the document is there are a lot of assumptions in there, made on bad advice, incorrect information and perhaps previous incorrect assumptions.
Steve
Break-down of point #63
63. A national approach to digital forensics would ensure that services are designed, built once, and used many times across law enforcement agencies. There is already much good work underway to develop digital forensic capability across law enforcement. Police forces need to ensure that as any particular tools or techniques are developed there is sufficient governance and infrastructure in place to avoid unnecessary duplication. Digital forensic capabilities will be shared between law enforcement agencies as quickly as possible
where operational and legal considerations permit.
as I read it
Obvious consideration
A national approach to digital forensics would ensure that services are designed, built once, and used many times across law enforcement agencies.
Statement of fact to avoid people that actually did something towards the goal are upset
There is already much good work underway to develop digital forensic capability across law enforcement.
Some wishful thinking
Police forces need to ensure that as any particular tools or techniques are developed there is sufficient governance and infrastructure in place to avoid unnecessary duplication.
Some more wishful thinking
Digital forensic capabilities will be shared between law enforcement agencies as quickly as possible where operational and legal considerations permit.
jaclaz