40 Hour Advanced BPA Course Residential Course Location: Reading, UK Date: 10-14 May 2021 This week-long residential training course focuses on the advanced application of BPA at crime scenes and in the laboratory. It is suitable for Law Enforcement Personnel, Crime Scene Investigators, Laboratory Practitioners and other individuals aligned with BPA (in the laboratory or at crime scenes) who have …
40 hour Basic BPA Course – Bookings now being taken
40 Hour Basic BPA Course Residential Course. Location: Reading UK Date: 17-21 May 2021 This week-long residential training course focuses on the basic application of BPA and is suitable for Law Enforcement Personnel, Crime Scene Investigators, Laboratory Practitioners and other individuals aligned with BPA (in the laboratory or at crime scenes). This course meets the educational standards as defined by …
The Pembrokeshire Murders: “Every Contact Leaves a Trace” by Roger Robson
So why is forensic textile evidence out of fashion…? The recent ITV drama prompted me to revisit yet again the conundrum as to why the majority of police forces in England/Wales rarely consider the value of textile fibres during their investigations. Many no longer consider fibre recovery as part of their forensic strategy – potential evidence can be left behind …
FSR Annual Report 2019-2020
The final report from Dr Gill Tully CBE as her tenure as Forensic Science Regulator soon comes to an end has been published. Please find a link to access here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/forensic-science-regulator-annual-report-2020
New publication addressing complex scientific issues for court
Sue Pope, PFS, and Alex Biedermann, University of Lausanne, are topic editors for this e-book collection of papers focusing on so-called evaluative uses of evidence, in particular DNA evidence. Since DNA analysis became part of forensic science in the mid-1980s, its impact on investigation of crime and at court has been immense. In a few years the technique became the …
Bradley Edwards found guilty of the Claremont Killings
In the Supreme Court of Western Australia, Perth, Bradley Edwards has just been found guilty of the murder of two young women in 1996/7 in a notorious case which has become known as the Claremont Killings. International DNA expert Dr Jonathan Whitaker gave evidence on the critical DNA profile evidence from the fingernail of victim Ciara Glennon which provided the …
Forensic Awareness Webinars Delivered to Doughty Street Chambers
Gillian Leak and Jonathan Whitaker both delivered Webinars via Zoom this month to Doughty Street Chambers members and instructing solicitors on aspects of DNA profiling and BPA. Both Webinars were well received. Discipline specific Webinars can be tailored to a Chamber’s requirements – please contact us if this is something we could assist with.
DVI paper co-authored by Julie Roberts published in Forensic Sciences Research
Disaster victim identification operations with fragmented, burnt, or commingled remains: experience-based recommendations Hans H. de Boer, Julie Roberts, Tania Delabarde, Amy Z. Mundorff & Soren Blau Published online: 26 May 2020 Please find a link here to the article: https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2020.1751385
Virtual DNA lecture delivered to Chavasse Court Chambers
Jonathan Whitaker was pleased to be invited to deliver a Zoom lecture on the 1st June to barristers from Chavasse Court Chambers, Liverpool, and instructing solicitors on aspects of DNA profiling. The lecture covered issues relating to DNA reporting covering the questions: ‘Whose DNA is it?; What body fluid has the DNA originated from? How and when did the DNA …
PFS contributes to recently published FSR Codes of Practice for Sexual Assault Examinations
The Forensic Science Regulator has published two documents today related to sexual assault examinations. These were initially drafted by PFS experts Julie Allard, Kevin Sullivan and Mike Scott-Ham, in conjunction with experts from Lime Culture CIC. We contributed to the development of the documents with the FSR’s Medical forensics specialist group and are delighted to see them published. They define …