University of Tasmania, Australia

Forensic science is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement to solve crime, and by the judicial system to prosecute offenders. However, the value and impact of forensic science has yet to be established. A/Prof. Julian will provide an overview of an inter-disciplinary ARC Linkage project being conducted by social scientists, forensic scientists and law enforcement practitioners. The objectives of the research are (1) to assess the effectiveness of forensic science in police investigations and court trials, and (2) to identify when, where and how forensic services can add value to police investigations, court trials and justice outcomes while ensuring the efficient use of available resources.

A/Prof. Julian will then discuss two critical points that have been identified through this research project as impacting on the effectiveness and efficiency of forensic science in criminal investigations: (1) the crime scene, and (2) the preparation of the brief by the DPP. In relation to the crime scene, two case studies will be presented that demonstrate a number of critical issues at the 'front end' of the forensic process, including the early recognition of a crime scene, the identification of 'experts' in police investigations and the management of complex crime scenes. In relation to the preparation of the brief by the DPP, an analysis of interview data reveals tensions that exist between efficiencies created at the forensic laboratory and the requirements from the courts for 'completeness' in relation to forensic evidence.

Overall, the research being undertaken in Forensic Studies at TILES highlights the tensions that exist between the 'world views' and social practices of 'science', 'law enforcement' and 'justice', and confirms the need to explore ways in which forensic science (as a scientific approach and a profession) can be more effectively embedded in the criminal justice system from crime scene to court.

Speaker

Associate Professor Roberta Julian is the Director of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES) at the University of Tasmania. She also held this position as the inaugural Director from 2003 to 2009. She is a sociologist who conducts research in policing and criminology with a particular interest in forensic science. Between 2002 and 2005 she was Chief Investigator for a series of projects (funded by the National Institute of Forensic Science) that examined knowledge and awareness of forensic science among police in three states in Australia: Tasmania, South Australia, and Victoria. She is currently the lead Chief Investigator in a 5 year Australian Research Council Linkage Grant with Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) that began in 2009. This project is examining the effectiveness of forensic science in the criminal justice system with a focus on police investigations and court outcomes. Her most recent books are Australian Youth: Social and Cultural Issues (with Pamela Nilan and John Germov) (Pearson 2007) and the third edition of Australian Sociology: A Changing Society (with David Holmes and Kate Hughes) (Pearson, 2012).

Venue: Room 586, Social Sciences Building, Sandy Bay campus

All welcome - no RSVP required
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