Forensics Is Not a Magic Bullet: Understanding the Nature of Forensic Science

Abstract

Forensic Science is an end-to-end process beginning at the scene and finishing in court. There are many opportunities for quality failures along the way. To limit the focus to the validity and the quality of the actual tests does not support the contribution of forensic science to the criminal justice system and risks compromising it. A particularly critical aspect of the process is the interpretation of the significance of the test findings in the context of the case and the faulty methodology/analytical tools used in arriving at a conclusion which is subject to human errors and technological changes. In this vein, standards that develop Forensic Experts may not be adequate to ensure proper evaluation of expert opinion as a safeguard to ensuring that the opinions are balanced, logical and transparent. The complexity of internal laboratory, internal audit, jury criminal procedures, probability system used in ascertaining crime outcome and other processes employed by the forensics experts/witness may not set clear boundaries between the crime scene/the laboratory test obtained as well as keeping intact evidence data obtained without making attempt to manipulate or duplicate it. Considering the complexity and faulty analytical/methodological model of testing used by the forensic experts/witness; this would be misleading and invariably may not absolutely be relied upon by potential forensic experts to support the criminal justice system. Conclusively, all these drawn to reaching a conclusion in this study that Forensics is not a Magic Bullet.