Essential reading for students and practitioners, this handbook provides an authoritative map of the landscape of forensic science within the criminal justice system of the UK. It examines the identification of individuals and discusses the comparison of drugs, body fluids, and trace evidence. It also explores reconstructing events including those involving bloodstain patterns and fires. The book concludes by discussing the evaluation of scientific evidence and various themes and debates in contemporary forensic science.

Preface 1. The Contemporary Landscape of Forensic Science Part 1: Forensic Science Practice Introduction Section 1: Identifying Individuals 2. The Current Status of DNA Profiling in the UK 3. Fingerprints 4. Forensic Anthropology and Human Identification from the Skeleton Section 2: Identifying and Comparing Materials 5. Drugs of Abuse 6. Body Fluids in Sexual Offences 7. Trace Evidence 8. MarksSection 3: Reconstructing Events 9. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis 10. Fire Investigation Policies and Practices in the UK Part 2: Forensic Science as Investigative Support Introduction 11. Forensic Resources and Criminal Investigations 12. DNA Databases 13. Using Forensic Science in Major Crime Inquiries 14. Forensic Science in UK Policing: Strategies, Tactics and Effectiveness Part 3: Reasoning and the Evaluation of Scientific Evidence Introduction 15. Statistics and Forensic Science 16. Understanding Forensic Science Opinions 17. The Science of Proof: Forensic Sceince Evidence in English Criminal Trials Part 4: Themes and Debates in Contemporary Forensic Science 18. Forensic Science and the Internationalisation of Policing 19. Forensic Science, Ethics and Criminal Justice 20. Professional Standards, Public Protection and the Administration of Justice 21. The Development and Enhancement of Forensic Expertise: Higher Education and in-service Training 22. The Future(s) of Forensic Investigations