This module will introduce students to the nature and scope of Forensic Science, including providing an overview of the role of forensic science in the investigation of crime, the fundamental principles of the scientific evaluation of evidence and how the provision of forensic services are organised and accredited in the UK. Students will be familiarised with the criminal justice system of England and Wales and the role of the expert witness in this system. This module will provide an introduction to the Bayesian statistical approach to the interpretation of evidence and will require students to understand how to interconvert between probability and odds, and how to construct meaningful likelihood ratios and use these to convert prior odds into posterior odds. Time will also be spent on the common errors of thinking known as the prosecutor's fallacy and the defence attorney's fallacy. Students will be expected and helped to develop the skills required by the expert witness, by gaining experience in writing expert reports and presenting evidence orally in the courtroom environment - including answering questions whilst under cross-examination. This module will address the fundamentals of crime scene processing including providing an overview of how crime scenes are managed with focus on the roles played by scientific support personnel at the crime scene and the recovery, packaging and storage of physical evidence. This module will provide students with knowledge of a variety of evidence types and investigation processes, which may include (dependent on staff) fibre characterisation, the analysis and comparison of glass and paint, the comparison of tool marks, the analysis of shooting incidents, the basic principles of visualisation and enhancement of latent fingerprints, fingerprint analysis and identification, the examination and interpretation of footwear impressions, the analysis of questioned documents as well as processes involved in vehicle collision investigation, shooting scene reconstruction and the analysis of digital evidence.

Project Output (Poster) - Learning outcomes 1 and 2

You will create a digital poster to critically assess the collection, packaging and subsequent laboratory analysis of a particular evidence type, including the further interpretation that could be undertaken. The poster should also include a critical appraisal of these methods and make suggestions for how these could be improved.

Expert Witness Report – Learning outcome 3

You will write a report as a forensic expert witness based on a fictitious scenario. An appropriate area of forensic expertise will be chosen as the focus for this report. Relevant testing must be alluded to and appropriate ‘results’ must be discussed. Your report should be written in a format that could be understood by members of a jury without detracting away from the scientific principles involved.

Practical Assessment (Courtroom) - Learning outcome 4

Present and defend evidence as a forensic expert witness in a mock courtroom environment. As a forensic expert witness, the contents of the report you submitted for the earlier assessment task will be presented and defended in a mock courtroom scenario. This will require responding to questions during both evidence in chief and cross examination. This assessment addresses learning outcome 4.

Interactive lectures and tutorials will provide the core material. Independent study should be utilised, mainly through tutor-guided background reading of lecture handouts, textbooks and web pages to consolidate the core material and broaden your understanding.

Module Learning Outcome

1. Draw together the theoretical aspects of crime scene processing for the purposes of preservation and evidence collection.

University Learning Outcome

Knowledge & Understanding
Enquiry

Module Learning Outcome

2. Implement the key principles through which trace and contact evidence can be characterised and compared with control samples, reference materials and databases.

University Learning Outcome

Knowledge & Understanding
Enquiry

Module Learning Outcome

3. Act in accordance with the rules and requirements of an expert witness in both criminal and civil legal systems; be competent in producing expert witness statements.

University Learning Outcome

Knowledge and Understanding
Learning
Communication
Application

Module Learning Outcome

4. Discuss scientific information, and present and defend it when acting as an expert witness in a courtroom.

University Learning Outcome

Problem Solving
Communication
Reflection

Access to Blackboard and the internet.

Jackson, A. and Jackson, J. (2016) Forensic Science. 4th Ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

Saferstein, R. (2014) Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science. 11th Ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

Scenesafe (2004) The scenes of crime handbook. Euxton: Forensic Science Service.

Tottenham, M. (2021) The reliable expert witness. Dublin: Clarus Press.

Several other texts covering crime scene processing and the specific evidence types dealt with in this module will be cited as and when required to support particular lectures.

Entry to postgraduate programme in Forensic Science

This module will introduce students to the nature and scope of Forensic Science, including providing an overview of the role of forensic science in the investigation of crime, the fundamental principles of the scientific evaluation of evidence and how the provision of forensic services are organised and accredited in the UK. Students will be familiarised with the criminal justice system of England and Wales and the role of the expert witness in this system. This module will provide an introduction to the Bayesian statistical approach to the interpretation of evidence and will require students to understand how to interconvert between probability and odds, and how to construct meaningful likelihood ratios and use these to convert prior odds into posterior odds. Time will also be spent on the common errors of thinking known as the prosecutor's fallacy and the defence attorney's fallacy. Students will be expected and helped to develop the skills required by the expert witness, by gaining experience in writing expert reports and presenting evidence orally in the courtroom environment - including answering questions whilst under cross-examination. This module will address the fundamentals of crime scene processing including providing an overview of how crime scenes are managed with focus on the roles played by scientific support personnel at the crime scene and the recovery, packaging and storage of physical evidence. This module will provide students with knowledge of a variety of evidence types and investigation processes, including but not limited to fibre characterisation, the analysis and comparison of glass and paint, the comparison of tool marks, the analysis of shooting incidents, the basic principles of visualisation and enhancement of latent fingerprints, fingerprint analysis and identification, the examination and interpretation of footwear impressions, the analysis of questioned documents as well as processes involved in vehicle collision investigation, shooting scene reconstruction and the analysis of digital evidence.