Forensic Science and the Law

The first 200 words of this essay...

Forensic Science and The Law

There are different forms which identification evidence can take, one of which being expert forensic evidence.

Fingerprints and bodily samples are examples of expert forensic evidence, of which police take the samples.

The PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence) Act 1984 provides police with the legal powers which they need for combating and preventing crime, while incorporating human rights. It covers the powers which police have to take fingerprints and samples from suspects in cases. In particular, Code D is concerned with the procedures connected with identifying people connected with a crime, including witnesses, victims and suspects. Code D explains how the police can use fingerprinting or take biological samples to establish identity, rule them out of the investigation, check for past convictions, or to compare with fingerprints at the scene of the crime. It also imposes standards on the conduct of the police, so that when collecting fingerprints and samples, the procedures used are fair to victims and suspects, and does not have a negative effect on their human rights. Having these procedures regulated, ensures the accuracy and reliability of evidence, helping to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

Section 9 of