Australian Online Course - Introduction to Forensic Science

Lesson Aim

Describe the application of forensic science to investigation of crimes and legal process.

OVERVIEW

In the early days of court prosecutions judges and juries relied upon eye witness testimonies and trace evidence found at the crime scene which was visible to the naked eye. Since those days, forensic science and the techniques used have advanced considerably and a much wider range of traces can be examined as evidence. 

Generally speaking, forensic science is the application of any scientific knowledge to the law.  It draws on principles and methods of traditional sciences as well as specific forensic science techniques such as anthropometry, fingerprinting, and blood stain analysis.  Evidence gathered using scientific principles is prepared for submission in courts where it must be presented impartially, and the ultimate test is how well it stands up in court.  

Lesson Aim

Explain crime scene investigations, different categories of evidence, and their collection procedures.

OVERVIEW

Forensic scientists and crime scene investigators may be called upon to analyse a wide range of crimes. Some are crimes against people, e.g. assault, and others are crimes against property, e.g. arson. The role of forensic scientists is to find evidence which can be analysed to locate suspects or identify victims. The quality of evidence is dependent upon rigorous procedures for observation, preservation, documentation, and packaging of evidence. It is also reliant upon carefully recording evidence on suspects and victims.

Lesson Aim

1. Explain how different types of evidence are tested and analysed on site and in the laboratory.
2. Discuss how evidence may be used and/or interpreted.

OVERVIEW

Evidence is information which is used to prosecute or exonerate a defendant, plaintiff, or other party in a legal setting. It may be used to link an individual to a crime scene, other place, or set of actions. This means it is collected using strict protocols. If evidence has not been collected according to proper, previously defined protocols, then it generally cannot be used in court. It is important to note that the protocols governing evidence collection, use, and admission vary according to governments and geographic region. Such laws and protocols can vary across council or county lines, state lines, international lines, and more. 

It must be noted that trace evidence refers to small, minute, or microscopic evidence. A suit jacket left at the scene of a crime is evidence, not trace evidence. The small blood spatters on the suit jacket are trace evidence.

All evidence must be evaluated properly if it is to be admissible in court. A case can be withdrawn from court if the evidence is not accepted.

Lesson Aim

1. To explain the roles of individuals working in specialist forensic sciences and the services they provide. 
2. To explain the difference between civil and criminal court.

OVERVIEW

Given the broad array of sciences involved in forensics there are many specialist offshoots. Sometimes those which involve analysis of biological, chemical and physical sources are considered ‘hard sciences’ whereas those with a more social science element like forensic psychology and profiling are considered ‘soft sciences’. Regardless of differences in background training, different specialists can make considerable contributions to criminal cases.    

Forensics is not a simple field. The unifying theory behind forensic science is that it uses science – scientific knowledge, learning, and methods – to provide evidence toward legal matters. These matters can be criminal (e.g. proving links between a suspect and a crime scene) or civil.

Lesson Aim

Understand theories underlying criminal behaviour in men, women and children.

OVERVIEW

In this lesson, we will look at psychological theories of crime. There are also other theories that try to explain crimes, such as biological theories, but our focus here is psychology.  

In forensic psychology, there are three main theories of crime –

• Psychodynamic theories – These are based on the idea that a person’s early childhood experiences influence their likelihood of committing future crimes.

• Behavioural Theories – Look at social learning and behavioural modelling. How we learn from those around us.

• Cognitive Theories – Suggest that how an individual perceives the world around them affects their potential to commit a crime.

• Personality and Intelligence theories also try to explain why an individual’s personality or intelligence could influence their chances of committing crimes.  

Theories of crime consider questions such as why is there crime in our society and why do individuals commit crime? The criminal justice system looks at this question and criminologists have been trying to answer them for centuries. These questions are actually very difficult to answer.   This has led to many different theories being developed to explain why people commit crime.  There is no single explanation for why a person commits crime.  We will now look in more detail at some of the theories.

Lesson Aim

Understand the link between mental health disorders and criminal behaviour.

OVERVIEW

Although many people who commit crimes do so with full control of their mental processes, there are others who have mental health issues. Nevertheless, it should be noted that most people with mental health disorders do not commit crimes and most people who do commit crimes do not have mental health disorders. Media stories and public opinion has tended to stigmatise people with mental health problems over the years so they have often been demonised and misunderstood. 

However, there is a general consensus of opinion that people with mental health disorders are more likely to be involved in crimes compared to people without mental health disorders with rates reported to be in the region of three to six times.  This also means the percentage of people who get convicted of criminal offences is higher amongst the population of people with mental health disorders compared to those without. In a 2011 study, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that 31% of prison entrants across most Australian jurisdictions reported some history of mental disorder. Of these, 16% were taking medication for a mental health problem. The data was gathered during a two-week census period in 2010. This suggests that people with mental health disorders are over-represented in prison populations and in crime statistics generally.

Lesson Aim

To explain how assessment and data collection is used in forensic sciences, law enforcement and psychology to profile criminal offenders and provide intelligence.

OVERVIEW

Traditional forensic science is largely concerned with the gathering and examination of trace evidence for use in court. But evidence and data collection can also be used to create profiles of offenders. Offender profiling may be conducted to try and narrow down the field of potential suspects for a particular crime, and it can also be used to develop databases to be used by police and intelligence agencies.

Lesson Aim

Understand how evidence is presented in court and issues surrounding eye witness testimonies.

OVERVIEW

In order for scientific evidence to be admissible in court it must meet certain standards. Not only must the evidence actually prove something, but it must be concerned with an issue that is relevant to the particular crime. Each country has its own legal system which determines whether evidence may be admitted to the court. 

Lesson Aim

1. Explain what ethics are, and why they are important in forensic science.
2. Explain the importance of ethics in the concept of protection of a person or persons within the court system.
3. Explain how ethical issues can influence collection of evidence, use of data and profiling. 

OVERVIEW

Ethics comes from the Greek word ‘ethos’. Simply put, it is the study of what constitutes right and wrong. 

There are generally established rules, mores, and behaviours within a given society or framework. How we navigate these – and the differences between what is consider acceptable and unacceptable – is how we exercise our ethics. Ethics covers a range of issues around how we can live a good life, our rights and responsibilities, and our morality. Another way to think about ethics is as how we behave when no one else is watching.

Ethics is commonly thought of as a subdivision within the broader discipline of “philosophy” (philosophy is the study of existence, and/or knowledge and nature). In this course, however, we are discussing ethics from a purely legal and judicial perspective – in other words, how it relates to the courts. This is because forensic science relates specifically to the legal and court systems.