SCIENTIFIC evidence is vital to more criminal cases than ever before, but it is also increasingly complex.
SCIENTIFIC evidence is vital to more criminal cases than ever before, but it is also increasingly complex.
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In any justice system worthy of the name, such evidence must not only be examined by the prosecution but also be able to be tested by the defence.
In Scotland, forensic scientists engaged by defending solicitors are so restricted in how they can access the evidence that it raises the question of whether the system is operating fairly. In other parts of the UK and in other advanced countries, scientific experts are sent or can make copies of the official record made by their opposite numbers working for the prosecution. Here, the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA), which owns and runs the laboratories, refuses to allow copies, requiring scientists to make notes. This is not only time-consuming but, at £100 an hour, costs the Scottish Legal Aid Board (Slab) a considerable sum.
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SCIENTIFIC evidence is vital to more criminal cases than ever before, but it is also increasingly complex.
In any justice system worthy of the name, such evidence must not only be examined by the prosecution but also be able to be tested by the defence.
In Scotland, forensic scientists engaged by defending solicitors are so restricted in how they can access the evidence that it raises the question of whether the system is operating fairly. In other parts of the UK and in other advanced countries, scientific experts are sent or can make copies of the official record made by their opposite numbers working for the prosecution. Here, the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA), which owns and runs the laboratories, refuses to allow copies, requiring scientists to make notes. This is not only time-consuming but, at £100 an hour, costs the Scottish Legal Aid Board (Slab) a considerable sum.
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We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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