Operational Policing
Reports and publications
In ensuring the quality and monitoring of standards, the role of the Regulator has a wide remit. Here you will find various relevant publications and links to associated source material.
Parliamentary statements
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which was appointed to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of Science and Technology and its associated public bodies, has produced the forensic science on trial report. It calls on the government to implement measures to ensure that the Criminal Justice System (CJS) has uninterrupted access to the full range of forensic services of the required quality standards and at affordable prices.
Read the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department's announcement on the establishment of the Forensic Science Regulator post and the establishment of the Forensic Science Advisory Council.
The Forensic Science Regulator business plan 2008/09 - 2010/11
The workplan, agreed with the Forensic Science Advisory Council, will help to oversee the development and provision of forensic science quality standards to the criminal justice system. The work that lies ahead will be challenging, but I am in no doubt it will be equally as rewarding.
The forensic science standards guidance manual
The forensic science standards guidance manual is currently in production. When published, the manual will set out,in detail, how the Regulator, supported by the FSAC and Specialist Groups, will discharge the remit to identify, develop, implement and enforce quality standards relating to the provision of forensic science services to the Criminal Justice System.
The Review of the science of low template DNA analysis
It is vitally important that the police and the criminal justice system can rely on the validity and quality of forensic science in the prevention and detection of crime. Following concerns expressed about the use of a process know as low copy number which is designed to detect a DNA profile from a very small quantity of DNA, the Forensic Science Regulator commissioned a review of this technique and other similar low template DNA techniques.
The review was led by Professor Brian Caddy, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Science at Strathclyde University. The overall finding of the review is that the science supporting the delivery of low template (including low copy number) DNA profiling is sound and that the three companies in the UK providing this service to the criminal justice system have validated their processes in accord with accepted scientific principles. The report of the review, nevertheless also makes a number of recommendations.
On 11 April 2008, the Forensic Science Regulator published the report of the review led by Professor Brian Caddy into the science of low template DNA analysis. The Regulator’s response to the review, and his proposals for taking forward the recommendations are set out in the review report.
Lecture to the Expert Witness Institute
The Regulator gave the Sir Michael Davies memorial lecture to the annual general meeting of the Expert Witness Institute at the Savile Club in Mayfair on 20 May 2008. The lecture was titled 'The regulation of quality standards in forensic science: the past, the present and the future.'
Manual of regulation
On 29 September 2008 the Forensic Science Regulator issued a draft manual of regulation to organisations and individuals on the Regulator's stakeholder database. It sets out the high level principles proposed by the Regulator and the methods by which the Regulator intends to set and monitor quality standards in the delivery of forensic science evidence to the Criminal Justice System. It also includes some detail on other matters, for example, on complaints handling and market scrutiny, where work has already been carried out and on which the Regulator is seeking comments. As further work on forensic science quality standards is developed, full regulatory impact assessments will be done in order to allow proper assessment of the costs, benefits and risks of the proposed standards.
The review of the registration of forensic practitioners
In May 2008, Meg Hillier, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, asked the Forensic Science Regulator to review the current approach to the registration of forensic practitioners. Following the Forensic Science Regulator’s consultation in March 2009, the summary of the responses received have been collated, these will further inform the shaping of the model of the Forensic Science Standards Framework.
- read the summary of the responses to the registration of forensic practitioners consultation
- read the review on the registration of forensic practitioners (new window)
- read the review on the registration of forensic practitioners Appendix I ILAC G19 Guidance to Forensic Labs
- read the review on the registration of forensic practitioners Appendix II CRFP submission
- read the review on the registration of forensic practitioners Appendix III Skills for Justice
- read the review on the registration of forensic practitioners Appendix IV Specialist Group ToR
Quality standards for forensic science service providers
On 10 March 2009, the Forensic Science Regulator published a set of industry specific quality standards for forensic science. These standards, with the full support of the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the British Standards Institute, who have both helped in the development and publication, bring together in one document the essential parts of the relevant BS EN ISO/IEC standards. They cover all forensic activity from the supply of equipment, to crime scene investigations, collection and examination of exhibits, analysis, interpretation and reporting. This is the first and probably most important step in delivering a new standards framework.
The Forensic Science Regulator would be very grateful to receive any comments on the paper, which should be emailed to Kenny Chigbo, the consultation coordinator, by 31 May 2009 using the template below.
- read the quality standards for forensic science providers
- quality standards for forensic science providers comment template
Analysis of Currency for Controlled Drugs Preliminary Report
Concerns with regard to methods employed for the analysis of currency for controlled drugs were referred to the Forensic Science Regulator. The Regulator asked for a preliminary report to be prepared to inform his decision as to whether the matter was such as to require a formal inquiry or other regulatory action. The preliminary report has been considered by the Regulator who has accepted the content and does not intend to take further action on this matter at this time.
