Introduction to
Forensic Science
1st Sem Sy 2023-2024
Forensic
Science
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Forensic science
•Forensic science is a discipline that applies
scientific analysis to the justice
system , frequently to help prove the events of a
crime .
•In forensic science, crimes are investigated or
potential evidence for court cases is examined
using scientific procedures or skills.
•From anthropology and animal forensics to
fingerprint and DNA analysis, forensic science
encompasses a wide range of fields .
Forensic Science as the
intersection of science and the
law and it can be defined as the
application of natural sciences
to legal problem.
Forensic Science is the
application of science to
law.
The application of scientific,
technical, or other specialized
knowledge to assists courts in
resolving question of fact in
civil and criminal law.
WHAT IS
FORENSIC?
• Criminalistics is the subdivision of
the Forensic Science that is
What is concerned with the recognition,
criminalistics? identification and
individualization, and evaluation
of physical evidence using the
methods of the natural sciences in
matters of legal significance.
• The evidence must be examined
with enough detail to be able to
decide whether the evidence came
from sources.
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Why is [Link] use of forensic
Forensic
evidence in the courtroom is
Science being
increasing.
important?
2. Many criminal justice
students and professionals
lack an understanding of
what forensic science can be
and cannot do.
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Why is Forensic Science being
important?
3. Forensic science services are often not used to their fullest potential.
4. Both students and professionals alike
often have an unrealistic expectation of
forensics.
Concepts
and
Principles
of Forensic
science
FORENSIC SCIENCE CONCEPT:
“ Forensis”, a Latin term, is the origin of the
word forensic.
The definition of "forensic" in the dictionary
is "pertaining to a court, the law, or a court
of law."
But in legal terminology, it might refer to
the field of study that clarifies ambiguous
issues in court of justice by examining the
theories and methods of several scientific
disciplines .
In simple terms, forensic science is the application
of science to law .
Investigations involving a victim in criminal cases
like assault, robbery, kidnapping, rape , or murder
as well as civil cases like forgeries, fraud, or
carelessness are conducted using forensic science.
In addition, forensic science determines whether
laws or policies have been broken in the marketing
of goods related to food and drink, drug
production, agricultural specific use, automobile
discharge observance, consumption water
cleanliness, and monitoring of international secret
nuclear weapons, among other areas.
Forensic Science
Principles
• The disciplines and procedures of science
are guided by the forensic science
principles while analyzing the evidence
to provide answers to specific queries.
These forensic science concepts influence
criminal processes that commence at the
moment of inquiry when a crime occurs
until the accused is found guilty in court.
•The following are forensic science
principles that are important in criminal
proceedings :
Law of Individuality
Every person, whether they are created by
nature or by humans, has a unique quality or
trait that cannot be found in any other form.
The fingerprint, which plays a deciding role in
forensic research, is the characteristic most
closely related with the law of individuality.
For instance, a white powder would otherwise
be mistaken for sand or table salt. However,
the identical powder found at the crime scene is
mistaken for a narcotic. The rule of uniqueness
takes into account the unique qualities of this
substance and aids in identification.
Law of Exchange
According to the law of exchange, when a criminal or
his tool makes contact with the victim or the items
around him, he leaves a trace that may be used in an
inquiry.
Relationships that exchange favors are not only
inevitable, but they may also be arranged. This natural
phenomenon, described by the French scientist Edmond
Locard, serves as the foundation for the exchange
principle in forensic research. According to this,
"Whenever two entities come into contact with each
other, they exchange the traces between them."
For example, if a knife is used as a weapon in a
murder, the victim's wounds will show signs of a sharp
object. However, the actual weapon used will have
blood on it. Therefore, if a bloody knife with a sharp-
edged metal is found at a crime scene of a murder, that
knife will be suspected as the murder weapon, and
fingerprints on that knife will lead to the killer.
Law of progressive change
•It claims that everything changes with time and that this has a significant influence
on criminal investigations since both the crime scene and the criminal change with
time and occasionally become indistinguishable.
•We heard the phrase "change is the only constant" often growing up. It's crucial to
grasp that nature obeys the law of destruction if you want to comprehend the
fundamentals of forensic science and its importance. Nothing lasts forever or exactly
as it is. If it's a dead corpse, the evidence may start to degrade; if it's a fingerprint, it
may get dirty or washed; and if it's body fluids like blood or semen, the medical
information might become inaccessible after a given amount of time.
•The Talvar film (based on the murder of Aarushi-Hemraj) serves as the greatest
illustration in this situation. The handprint of blood on the wall that was washed away
by rain was one piece of evidence that was lost as a result of the CBI's investigation
and delay in receiving the complaint, according to the movie. Delays in filing a FIR are
therefore abhorred, especially in cases of serious crimes.
Law of
comparison
• According to this approach, only those with comparable likes
are compared, while those with different likes are not.
•The simple idea that "Only the likes can be compared" is the
foundational tenet of forensic science. For purposes of
confirmation, similar samples should be compared. If the
blood sample was taken from the crime scene, it must be
clinically evaluated to determine if it came from a person or
some other type of organism. Their DNAs can be compared to
get confirmation if the accused or victim are in close proximity
to one another.
•Another example could help us comprehend the idea of
comparison more clearly. The sample skin may belong to the
offender if the investigating agency discovers skin fragments in
the victim's nails who was subjected to abuse or assault. In this
situation, a scientific comparison of a sample skin's DNA with
the DNA of the accused individual could shed some light.
Similar to this, a cybercrimes attorney may assist in identifying
cybercriminals using their chat-style communications and use
it as persuasive evidence in court.
Law of analysis
•It entails selecting the appropriate samples and keeping them
safe so they may be analyzed more effectively. The evidence must
be stored in the proper way to prevent manipulation and
destruction.
•When accuracy is upheld throughout the inquiry, the fundamental
forensic science concepts are still applicable. The guiding concept
of analysis states that "The quality of any analysis would be better
by collection of the correct sample and its correct preservation in
the prescribed manner ". To put it another way, it is certain that
correct analysis of the evidence will be lost if the individual
examining the crime scene is not observant enough.
•As an example, if the murder weapon is a knife that has been
handled directly without the use of gloves or a handkerchief, it will
be difficult to determine who committed the crime. A
straightforward piece of evidence will be lost due to this minor
ignorance.
Law of probability
•Depending on the situation, all identifications and identities may occasionally be
correctly made, both consciously and subconsciously.
•Each of us has experienced anxiety when studying probability in math class. We all went
from calculating the likelihood of six on the dice to questioning the likelihood of the facts
all around us. The possibilities of anything happening are what really matter. Based on
the forensic use of probabilistic inference and logic, the incident is located.
•By way of example, it is quite unlikely that somebody aboard a flight from Davao to
Manila at a specific moment would commit a crime like murder. On the other hand, if
further proof is presented, the same individual on board with an active internet
connection has a higher likelihood of committing one of the sorts of cybercrimes
anywhere.
• Men can lie, but facts don't lie. Facts cannot be
false, they cannot lie, and they cannot completely
disappear . Therefore, the value of circumstantial
evidence is advantageous for oral testimony.
Law of •The adage " Facts cannot be wrong , they cannot lie,
Circumstantia and they cannot be entirely absent " is a well-known
one. The statements made by the accused, witnesses,
or even the victims themselves may be lies, but men
l Facts can and do. For personal reasons, the truth may be
kept a secret. However, it's possible that the facts do
not support what the people are saying.
• Therefore, forensic science is the branch of science
that focuses on the recognition, identification,
individualization, and assessment of physical
evidence using the tools and principles of natural
science to administer the criminal justice system .
THANK YOU!!!
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