The ethics of forensic science evidence

What is it about?

This is an article about the ethical responsibilities of forensic scientists who write reports for the courts or give oral evidence. It draws on more general discussions about the ethics of scientific communication in areas where the science is uncertain - for example earthquakes risks and climate change - and stresses the importance of experts being transparent about the limits of their knowledge.

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Why is it important?

Not much has been written about the ethics of forensic science and expert evidence, but experts who conceal the problems in their area of expertise can cause terrible injustice as we have recently seen in the post office scandal. In particular the article adds to the criticism of so-called "streamlined" reports which allow scientists to present very simplified versions of their findings without explanations or qualifications that may be essential for a fair assessment of the evidence.