Wednesday 13 August 2008

What to do with forensic science?

There is an interesting piece by Radley Balko, a senior editor for Reason magazine, and Roger Koppl, Professor of Economics and Finance in Fairleigh Dickinson University's Silberman College of Business, over at Slate in which the authors suggest the need for reforms to the way forensic science is carried out. The conclusion reads:
The continuing stories of forensics error and wrongful convictions are troubling but not all that surprising. Our criminal justice system is centuries old. It just hasn't adapted well to the dramatic advances in science and technology over the past 30 years. But as forensic evidence becomes more and more important in securing convictions, the need for monitoring and oversight grows exponentially. Every other scientific field properly requires peer review, statistical analysis, and redundancy to ensure quality and accuracy. It's past time we applied the same quality-control measures to criminal forensics, particularly given the fundamental nature of what's at stake.

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