The Interfaces Between Science, Medicine, Law and Law Enforcement

Forensic science is increasingly relied on in police investigations and in criminal trials to exonerate the innocent and assist in establishing links to crime. With this increased reliance on forensic science the potential for unjust outcomes increases, especially in serious matters (homicide/sexual assault). The reasons for this are twofold: first, the more serious the matter, the more likely that evidence mishandling can lead to wrongful imprisonment; second, the more likely the personnel involved in serious cases will be multi-disciplinary (police, medicine, law, forensic science) and multi-organisational (Health, Justice, Police, private legal/medical). The importance of identifying effective multi-organisational interactions was highlighted in a judicial report into the wrongful imprisonment of an Australian male for a sexual assault he did not commit. The report noted one factor that led to the unjust outcome was the limited communication and interactions between law enforcement, medical, forensic science and legal practitioners throughout the entirety of the case.