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The policy, regulation and practice group focuses on improving the quality and effectiveness of forensic science, drawing on the unique breadth of King’s Forensics in research, casework, ethical oversight, development of standards and teaching. The group plays leading roles in advisory groups for the Forensic Science Regulator and the Department of Transport, and in the Forensics and Biometrics Ethics Group.

Models of forensic science provision vary by jurisdiction, with police, government, commercial sector, and academia contributing to different extents. Even within a single jurisdiction, multiple approaches abound. While there is no shortage of strongly held views, the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of regimes for delivery of forensic science casework, innovation and quality assurance has been patchy at best. Our active collaborations with police, forensic science providers, policymakers and oversight organisations enables the policy, regulation & practice group to contribute to improved decision-making and collation of data to inform future approaches.

Forensic science can only be at its most effective when the legal framework within which it is admitted and scrutinised is appropriate. Legal scholarship and collaboration with legal practitioners is therefore a core part of our work.

Optimising the use of forensic science in relation to specific crime types is increasingly important when resources and capacity are stretched. Making the appropriate use of public funding, and understanding the impact of such funding, is important where future investment is sought. We are therefore involved in identifying and evaluating interventions to improve the collection, analysis, interpretation and use of evidence in an effective manner that maintains the trust of all participants in criminal justice systems.

People

Tracy Alexander

Fellow of King's College London

Liat Levanon

Reader in Evidence Law and Philosophy

Kim Wolff

Director King's Forensics

Projects

evidence
Probabilistic Evaluation of Evidence

The manner in which evidence is evaluated varies by discipline. This project examines the reasons for the differences between DNA and fingerprint evidence evaluation, the legal basis by which issues are proven and the differing roles of juries and scientists. Investigators: Prof Gillian Tully, Dr Liat Levanon

    Legal-advice-pic
    Legal Professional Privilege, Disclosure and the Forensic Expert

    Communications with expert witnesses may be subject to legal professional privilege in the context of criminal proceedings. The position is made more complex in that context both because of prosecution disclosure requirements which impact on experts instructed by the Crown and by provisions of the Criminal Procedure Rules concerning matters such as pre-trial discussions between experts, the use of single joint experts and the content of expert’s reports which apply to expert witnesses whether instructed by the prosecution or by the defence. This project considers the position from the viewpoint of the forensic expert and explores the relationship between the expert’s ethical standards, the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Rules, the existence of litigation privilege and applicable disclosure requirements, through the binary lenses of prosecution and defence instruction. Investigators: prof Gillian Tully, Prof Michael Stockdale (Northumbria University)

      Genetic theme
      Improving the effectiveness of Y-STR Evaluation

      This project seeks to improve the manner in which the strength of evidence from haploid genetic markers such as Y chromosome STRs is evaluated in forensic casework. In collaboration with the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and the University of Leicester, we are evaluating the performance of mutation models and seeking to understand UK population structure. Investigators: Prof Gillian Tully, Dr Roberto Puch-Solis (Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science), Dr Sue Pope (Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science), Dr Jon Wetton (University of Leicester).

        Image missing an alt value
        Improving criminal justice outcomes in cases of rape and serious sexual assault

        Professor Gillian Tully CBE is leading a multi-disciplinary collaborative research group, with the aim of improving the practice of forensic science.

        Image missing an alt value
        Machine Learning in a Criminal Justice Setting

        This group evaluates how the reliability and admissibility of machine learning can be established and what the risks are in a criminal justice setting.

        Media coverage

        parliament
        Parliamentlive.tv

        Science and Technology Committee: Wednesday 30 June 2021 09:29:59 - Subject: Biometrics and forensics: follow-up 09:30:01 - Witness(es): Professor Gillian Tully, former Forensic Science Regulator; Professor Paul Wiles, former Commissioner for the Retention and use of Biometric Material

        People

        Tracy Alexander

        Fellow of King's College London

        Liat Levanon

        Reader in Evidence Law and Philosophy

        Kim Wolff

        Director King's Forensics

        Projects

        evidence
        Probabilistic Evaluation of Evidence

        The manner in which evidence is evaluated varies by discipline. This project examines the reasons for the differences between DNA and fingerprint evidence evaluation, the legal basis by which issues are proven and the differing roles of juries and scientists. Investigators: Prof Gillian Tully, Dr Liat Levanon

          Legal-advice-pic
          Legal Professional Privilege, Disclosure and the Forensic Expert

          Communications with expert witnesses may be subject to legal professional privilege in the context of criminal proceedings. The position is made more complex in that context both because of prosecution disclosure requirements which impact on experts instructed by the Crown and by provisions of the Criminal Procedure Rules concerning matters such as pre-trial discussions between experts, the use of single joint experts and the content of expert’s reports which apply to expert witnesses whether instructed by the prosecution or by the defence. This project considers the position from the viewpoint of the forensic expert and explores the relationship between the expert’s ethical standards, the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Rules, the existence of litigation privilege and applicable disclosure requirements, through the binary lenses of prosecution and defence instruction. Investigators: prof Gillian Tully, Prof Michael Stockdale (Northumbria University)

            Genetic theme
            Improving the effectiveness of Y-STR Evaluation

            This project seeks to improve the manner in which the strength of evidence from haploid genetic markers such as Y chromosome STRs is evaluated in forensic casework. In collaboration with the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science and the University of Leicester, we are evaluating the performance of mutation models and seeking to understand UK population structure. Investigators: Prof Gillian Tully, Dr Roberto Puch-Solis (Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science), Dr Sue Pope (Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science), Dr Jon Wetton (University of Leicester).

              Image missing an alt value
              Improving criminal justice outcomes in cases of rape and serious sexual assault

              Professor Gillian Tully CBE is leading a multi-disciplinary collaborative research group, with the aim of improving the practice of forensic science.

              Image missing an alt value
              Machine Learning in a Criminal Justice Setting

              This group evaluates how the reliability and admissibility of machine learning can be established and what the risks are in a criminal justice setting.

              Media coverage

              parliament
              Parliamentlive.tv

              Science and Technology Committee: Wednesday 30 June 2021 09:29:59 - Subject: Biometrics and forensics: follow-up 09:30:01 - Witness(es): Professor Gillian Tully, former Forensic Science Regulator; Professor Paul Wiles, former Commissioner for the Retention and use of Biometric Material