The government must act as a priority to protect the future
of forensic science in England and Wales, the Forensic
Science Regulator (FSR) has warned today (Tuesday 25
February).
While recognising that improvements have been made, Dr
Gillian Tully has called for gaps in quality to be resolved
to prevent unreliable evidence being used in court.
The regulator’s annual
report also found that a digital skills shortage
risks the sector falling behind criminals who are taking
advantage of developing technology.
Dr Tully has reiterated calls for statutory enforcement
powers to protect the criminal justice system. The
regulator currently has no legal powers to enforce
compliance with the required standards.
A major cyber attack affecting Eurofins Forensic Services,
one of the largest commercial providers in the country,
highlighted the fragility of the sector and exacerbated
existing shortfalls in toxicology capacity.
The Eurofins attack was the most significant of 105
referrals made to the FSR between November 2018 and
November 2019. But, despite increased demand, the regulator
received reduced government funding in 2018/19.
Forensic Science Regulator, Dr Gillian Tully, said:
The reality is that forensic science has been operating
on a knife-edge for years, with particular skills
shortages in digital forensics and toxicology.
It is important that our ability to use science
effectively in the criminal justice system does not lag
behind technologically-enabled criminals.
Quality is not optional. Standards need to be implemented
across the board if the sector is to learn from the past
and improve for the future.
The annual report provides an update on developments
between November 2018 and November 2019, and sets
priorities for the year to come. Issues include:
- a lack of accreditation for CCTV comparison and a
danger of experts straying outside their area of expertise
- over 1,100 DNA profiles stored on the National DNA
Database (NDNAD) have been confirmed as contaminated by
police officers and staff, and are being removed
- constraints on legal aid fees and a lack of enforcement
powers have affected the ability of defendants to access
quality-assured forensic science expertise
In July 2019, the Forensic Science Regulator launched the
Anonymous Reporting Line. Run by Crimestoppers, it is
available to the general public and forensic science
professionals to report quality concerns.
