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. 2023 Oct 10;120(41):e2301840120.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2301840120. Epub 2023 Oct 2.

The scientific reinvention of forensic science

Jonathan J Koehler  1 , Jennifer L Mnookin  2 , Michael J Saks  3
Affiliations

The scientific reinvention of forensic science

Jonathan J Koehler et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Forensic science is undergoing an evolution in which a long-standing "trust the examiner" focus is being replaced by a "trust the scientific method" focus. This shift, which is in progress and still partial, is critical to ensure that the legal system uses forensic information in an accurate and valid way. In this Perspective, we discuss the ways in which the move to a more empirically grounded scientific culture for the forensic sciences impacts testing, error rate analyses, procedural safeguards, and the reporting of forensic results. However, we caution that the ultimate success of this scientific reinvention likely depends on whether the courts begin to engage with forensic science claims in a more rigorous way.

Keywords: courts; error rate; forensic science; paradigm shift; testing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interest.

References

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