Reid Carmen A, Howes Loene M
School of Social Sciences, College of Arts, Law and Education, University of Tasmania (UTAS), Private Bag 22, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
Sci Justice. 2020 Mar;60(2):108-119. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2019.09.007. Epub 2019 Oct 31.
Forensic criminology examines the use of forensic science in society. Justice can be hampered, for example, if the communication of forensic scientific findings is unclear or misleading, even if unintentionally. Although various recommendations guide the communication of forensic science, it is unclear whether they are reflected in practice. This study explored the communication of forensic biology in 10 cases of major crimes against the person heard in the Tasmanian Supreme Court, where the standard practice is to issue brief summary reports in the first instance. The content of expert reports and corresponding testimony was analysed to determine its adherence to recommendations outlined in standards, practice notes, and research. While reports were found to be very brief, testimony elaborated on all major elements. Mostly elicited by the prosecution, some elements were volunteered by expert witnesses, or raised by defence. Overall, expert evidence in courts-but not reports (due to the use of brief summary reports)-largely adhered to recommendations. Further research is needed to determine the prevalence and effectiveness of alternative approaches to communication that were identified in certain cases.
法医犯罪学研究法医学在社会中的应用。例如，如果法医学鉴定结果的传达不清楚或有误导性，即使是无意的，司法也可能受到阻碍。尽管有各种建议指导法医学的信息传达，但这些建议在实践中是否得到体现尚不清楚。本研究探讨了塔斯马尼亚最高法院审理的10起重大人身伤害犯罪案件中法医生物学的信息传达情况，该法院的标准做法是首先发布简要的总结报告。对专家报告和相应证词的内容进行了分析，以确定其是否符合标准、实践指南和研究中概述的建议。虽然发现报告非常简短，但证词详细阐述了所有主要内容。大部分是由检方引出的，一些内容是专家证人主动提供的，或者是由辩方提出的。总体而言，法庭上的专家证据——但不包括报告（由于使用了简要总结报告）——在很大程度上符合建议。需要进一步研究以确定在某些案件中发现的替代信息传达方式的普遍性和有效性。
