Formulation and communication of evaluative forensic science expert opinion-A GHEP-ISFG contribution to the establishment of standards.
Communicating and interpreting genetic evidence in the administration of justice is currently a matter of great concern, due to the theoretical and technical complexity of the evaluative reporting and large difference in expertise between forensic experts and law professionals. A large number of initiatives have been taken trying to bridge this gap, contributing to the education of both parties. Results however have not been very encouraging, as most of these initiatives try to cope globally with the problem, addressing simultaneously theoretical and technical approaches which are in a quite heterogeneous state of development and validation. In consequence, the extension and complexity of the resulting documents disheartens their study by professionals (both jurists and geneticists) and makes a consensus very hard to reach even among the genetic experts' community. Here we propose a 'back-to-basics', example-driven approach, in which a model report for the two most common situations faced by forensic laboratories is presented. We do hope that this strategy will provide a solid basis for a stepwise generalisation.
Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3s), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
António
A
Amorim
Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Departamento de Barcelona, Servicio de Biología, Ministerio de Justicia, Barcelona, Spain.
Manuel
M
Crespillo
Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Departamento de Barcelona, Servicio de Biología, Ministerio de Justicia, Barcelona, Spain.
Juan A
JA
Luque
Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Lourdes
L
Prieto
Forensic Science Unit, Forensic Genetics Section, Basque Country Police-Ertzaintza, Erandio, Bizkaia, Spain.
Oscar
O
Garcia
Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3s), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; DNA Diagnostic Laboratory, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Leonor
L
Gusmão
Sección de Genetica Forense y Criminalística, Instituto de Medicina Legal de Valencia, Spain.
Mercedes
M
Aler
Servicio de Biología, Departamento de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (INTCF), Spain.
Pedro A
PA
Barrio
Unidad de Genética Forense, Servicio Médico Legal (SML) de Santiago, Santiago, Chile.
Victor G
VG
Saragoni
Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3s), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; CMUP Centro de Matemática da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: npinto@ipatimup.pt.
Nadia
N
Pinto
D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D044707:Forensic Sciences / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D058028:Research Report / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards
Avuncular; Communication to the court; Expert report; Genetics; Identity; Paternity; Report; Second degree pedigrees testing