History of forensic science Flashcards
When did Forensic science emerge?
in 1532 as a result of the Coralina Criminal procedure
True or false? English courts had no room for such expert witnesses until after 1782
True
What was an important toxicology question in the early 19th century?
Whether someone had been poisoned or not
What was the job of a medico legalist?
Ascertaining the cause and time of death
What was Spilsbury credited with?
Bringing the crime scene investigation to Britain
How did Hans Gross contribute to forensic science?
He was the first to systematise the methods of crime scene investigation in the 1893 book - Handbook for investigating magistrates
What did Gross’s book provide instructions for?
What to do at the scene of an offence (keep calm, exclude everything that happened after the moment of the crime, don’t touch or move anything, treat the crime scene like a puzzle)
What were the important aspects of Gross’s reports?
- Drawings to register the spacial and relational details of a scene
- Used reference points worked out with a compass
- Once each object was recorded in the report they could then be taken to the laboratory
When was the first police scientific lab established?
In 1912 by Edmond Locard in France
What was Locards principal tool for the analysis of trace evidence?
The microscope
