Quality Flashcards
what are the purpose of ISO standards
a degree where a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfils certain requirements
what does ISO stand for
international organisation of standardisation
what is meant by a standard in forensic science
a document established by a consensus and approved by a recognised body aiming to achieve a degree of order
provides common and repeated use of rules and guidance for activities
what are the 5 current quality standards seen in forensic science
- ISO 17025 or 17020 accreditation
- criminal procedure rules
- rules of evidence - admissibility and relevance
- common law
- professional codes
what is the professional body in forensic science
The Chartered Society of Forensic Science
what is a regulatory body in forensic science
The Forensic Science Regulator
which is the accreditation applied to crime scenes
ISO 17020
which is the accreditation applied to labs
ISO 17025
what are the three areas within forensic science that combined represent quality
scientific
legal
ethical
in order to have high quality in the work conducts how must an individual act (3 words)
impartially
logically
rationally
what standards relate to remaining ethical
moral principles and the adherence to professional codes of conduct
e.g from the regulator
what are the 5 requirements outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relating to quality in forensic science
- comply with Codes of Conduct and Practice set by the regulator
- ensure Quality Standards and Assurances processes are applied and consistent - compliant with the ISO standards and UKAS accreditation
- have clear communication and interpretation of scientific processes and the strengths and weaknesses
- engage with SFR reporting with correct prosecution requirements
- be fully aware and complaint with CPIA Disclosure and Expert Witness Obligations
what does UKAS stand for
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
why are Quality Standards in forensic science important
without these there is the greater risk of those guilty escaping justice or those innocent being convicted
leading to miscarriages of justice
when is a method not good even though it is based on good scientific background
it is not a good method if it is not constantly applied in the same way every time it is used
without these robust comparisons can not be made and their method is unreliable
what are some roots of analysis error seen in forensic science (4)
- a reliable method but not qualified analyst
- method reliable and analyst qualified but method applied incorrectly
- analyst qualified but method unreliable
- analyst not qualified and method unreliable
what three things make a method used unreliable
- inconsistent or non existent criteria for conclusions
- not rooted by good science
- not accounting for uncertainties
why it is often seen that old methods are regularly updated
due to technological and scientific advancements the holes in our knowledge are now filled and we understand the processes better in order to make improvements to them
what approach was introduced to mitigate against bias
the Bayesian approach using Bayes Theorem
what area in forensic science does ISO 17025 apply to
labs
the most important standard for the calibration testing in labs around the world
what can bias and poor quality lead to
miscarriages of justice
when was ISO 17025 first used
what is the other term you might see other that ISO in front of the number
1999
IEC = international electrotechnical Commission
what was the Runciman Commission
Also called The Royal Commission on Criminal Justice
established in London in 1991 by the Home Secretary
the purpose = to examine the English criminal justice system and making recommendations of changes in order increase the efficiency of the system and improve quality
what 4 things is ISO17025 built around
- a competent organisations
- competent people
- valid methods
- impartiality