‘All we need to know’? Questioning transnational scientific evidence

Carole McCartney, Rick Graham

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Systematic and ad hoc cross-border exchanges of scientific evidence for law enforcement purposes are increasing. This chapter investigates what we ‘need to know’ when law enforcement agencies from one country seek to utilise scientific evidence produced in another jurisdiction. Criminal courts potentially face additional challenges, above and beyond those presented by all scientific evidence, when complex chains of custody and attenuated communications confound domestic attempts at ensuring the safety and reliability of scientific evidence. This chapter assesses the adequacy of national and international safeguards to ensure the reliability of scientific evidence generated extraterritorially. Subsisting regulatory frameworks and quality assurance mechanisms are described, with a view to assessing whether a ‘country by country’ approach secures ‘all we need to know’ about the provenance and probative value of scientific evidence. Alternatively, does international evidence exchange demand more comprehensive institutional solutions to guarantee evidential reliability and trustworthiness for the purposes of criminal adjudication?
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationForensic Science Evidence and Expert Witness Testimony
Subtitle of host publicationReliability through Reform?
EditorsPaul Roberts, Michael Stockdale
Place of PublicationCheltenham
PublisherEdward Elgar
Chapter13
Pages376-414
Number of pages39
ISBN (Electronic)9781788111034
ISBN (Print)9781788111027
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Nov 2018

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '‘All we need to know’? Questioning transnational scientific evidence'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this