Handwriting expertise reliability: A review

Abstract

Handwriting expertise, as a form of forensic evidence, was once considered by most courts under the Anglo-American law system to be infallible, but this position was significantly challenged by the Daubert case (1993) and further by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report published in 2016. In China, handwriting expertise has often been accepted as forensic evidence. However, this does not mean that there is no need to review the reliability of handwriting expertise. In this study, we analyze the current situation in China regarding the reliability of handwriting identification using cases from China's judicial judgment database. We intend to identify the reasons for rejection of handwriting expertise, analyze the outcomes of applications for re-examination, and examine the court's evaluation of different forensic opinions in relation to a given case. We also propose ways to strengthen the reliability of handwriting identification in China.