Forensic Science Service (FSS) closures do not need to be detrimental to the criminal justice system -
with Forensic Resources Ltd on the case!
Since the announcement of the gradual closure of the governments Forensic Science Service (FSS), which handled an estimated 60% of police forensic work, last month the FSS closed its doors to new police case file work. Prosecution evidence from crime scenes will now be handled exclusively by private forensic laboratories or analyzed in-house by the police. With the current economic climate demanding that police forces reduce their expenditure, forensic activity may come under budgetary pressure. This is a cause for concern. In addition, police force labs are not expected to be accredited to the ISO17025 standards until 2015 - a deadline that is still yet to be confirmed- whereas private companies are already required to be ISO17025 accredited. Apart from the obvious distortion in accreditation standards that this produces, it also causes commercial distortion against private companies because it will have an impact on the cost of the service.
Director of Forensic Resources commented: "This re-organization and re-distribution of forensic analysis could mean that until 2015 thousands of cases could pass through unaccredited laboratories. Therefore it is essential that defence solicitors are conscious that their cases need to be rigorously scrutinized and evaluated for accuracy. Forensic Resources Ltd can help identify any potential issues with the prosecution forensic analysis. Our unrivalled case management service is essential to defence solicitor firms, now more than ever."
As a result of the re-shuffle of live cases, many FSS experts who provided the evidence are now no longer available as expert witnesses, which impacts on court cases that have arisen some-time after testing was completed. Forensic Resources are working hard to help our clients track the relevant prosecution experts and we are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to gain the defence authorisation that is required to keep such cases together to conclude the cases. Forensic Resources is determined to combat potential problems with prosecution evidence, that these closures may bring, by continuing to provide our renowned bespoke case management and testing services to defence firms.
