The Provision Of Forensic Services

By Author: Jasper Avila
Total Articles: 165
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Example case - The scene of a fatal Road traffic accident involving two vehicles

This type of scene may also need the expertise of forensic scientists from at least two forensic disciplines.
A road traffic investigation expert can examine the scene and the vehicles involved to assess whether vehicle failure, climatic conditions or driver error or a combination of all three may have caused the fatal road traffic accident. In the case of a forensic defence expert they may have to interpret the scene from photographs and police reports, although the vehicles may still be available for forensic re-examination.

Blood samples would normally be taken from the deceased at post mortem and the surviving driver by a police surgeon, if possible. These blood samples would be sent to the forensic science laboratory to be analysed for drugs and alcohol by a forensic toxicologist, to see if either driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both when the accident occurred. The role of a forensic toxicology expert witness is to assess the effects that any drugs and alcohol detected in the drivers of the vehicles ...
... may have had on their ability to drive at the time of the accident.

Where the accident involves a %u2018hit and run%u2019 a forensic scientists specialising in chemistry may be asked to compare bits of broken vehicle component, such as a headlamp, found at the scene with a damaged component found on a vehicle believed to have been involved in the fatal collision.

Example case - The scene of an armed robbery where a firearm has been discharged

Scenes of this nature will involve a firearms and ballistics forensic scientist. The role of the forensic scientist and firearms expert may be to compare spent ammunition found at the crime scene with ammunition found in the possession of a suspect or to compare marks found on the spent ammunition with those made on ammunition fired from a recovered weapon in order to ascertain whether it is the weapon used in the armed robbery.

There may be other evidence which requires the expertise of a forensic chemist who may be asked to compare shoeprints found at the scene with shoes worn by a suspect.

If the glass in a door or window is smashed to gain entry to the premises the forensic scientist specialising in forensic chemistry may also be asked to analyse and compare the glass from the scene with fragments of glass found on a suspects clothing.

A forensic fingerprint expert may also be needed to recover fingerprints left at the scene and compare them to those of potential suspects.

The statements of the Crown%u2019s expert witnesses in cases like those previously described will be disclosed to the defence prior to the case going to trial. Defence solicitors may decide to engage one or more forensic defence experts to re-examine parts or all of the forensic evidence and decide whether or not the prosecution scientist%u2019s investigations were carried out properly and whether they agree or disagree with the prosecutions version of events. If the independent forensic scientists disagree they may offer alternative interpretations and opinions relating to the crime and the crime scene

This article just gives just a few examples of the roles that forensic scientists plays in the criminal justice system. There are many forensic disciplines, some covering broad topics like forensic biology and some very specialised like forensic entomology, but there are forensic scientists available to give expert opinion in all criminal cases and in cases involving all forensic evidence types.

If you are engaged in defending someone in a criminal case and you have evidence which requires appraisal by an experienced forensic expert witness then please do not hesitate to contact us.

We will determine whether the forensic evidence can be challenged completely free of charge and will subsequently put together an estimate of costs for approval should you wish to have an independent forensic scientist comment on the forensic evidence against your client.

We have experts in a full range of forensic disciplines including amongst others drugs, drugs on money (POCA), drugs valuations, toxicology, drink diving, drugs driving, biology/DNA, blood pattern analysis, fingerprints, shoeprints, vehicle examination and firearms.

Forensic Equity is a leading forensic services provider. Our team includes forensic scientists specialising in all of the mainstream forensic disciplines. We also have access to a comprehensive expert witness directory.