24 June 2021 – Webinar
CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION – Science from Scene to Courtroom

Date: Thursday, 24 June 2021, 12:00 to 14:00 SAST

Speaker: Dr Mark Reynolds APM

Recent scrutiny of law enforcement has identified a noticeable dearth of underpinning scientific support in many areas of endeavour.  One area highlighted is the apparent lack of knowledge on how to examine and test case-specific scientific data with reconstructive processes so that experimentally derived results are robust, reliable, and supported by fundamental scientific principles.

A crime scene reconstruction can be as simple as just the correct identification, collection, and testing of evidentiary samples or so complex as to require formal planning, multiple replicates, and documented steps to control and investigate dependent and independent variables.

Law enforcement’s understanding of fundamental science and how it can be applied to case specific reconstructive efforts will be discussed upon the basis that irrespective of complexity, the “value add” of any reconstructive effort will hinge upon getting it right at the start.  The importance of understanding the reasoning model involved, the divergence between the scientific method and criminal investigation models and how to correctly apply Popper’s Theory of Falsification and Ockham’s Razor to reconstructive outcomes will also be interrogated.

Lastly, and arguably most importantly, the recognition of general and case-specific scientific assumptions and limitations will be explored as well as the cultural impediments impacting on practitioner courage to report them.