Quality Standards and Regulation: Challenges for Digital Forensics

Abstract

Concern over the quality of science and scientists has led to a number of recommendations from the judiciary and government bodies. The Forensic Science Regulator, appointed within the Home Office, has produced a draft Code of Practice for Forensic Science Providers to the criminal justice system (CJS) with accompanying annexes for guidance in specific disciplines. All Forensic Science Providers (FSPs) are required to comply with the code of practice by 2013. The annex for digital evidence adopts existing principles of good practice and extends them to include a requirement for demonstration of fitness for purpose in the context of the CJS. The industry, however, has identified that a proper definition of purpose is likely to be quite complex and must embark on a programme of research in order to fully define this before fitness can be demonstrated.