Forensic The Science of crimes
What is forensic science
forensic science, the application of the methods of the natural and physical sciences to matters of criminal and civil law. forensic science can be involved not only in investigation and prosecution of crimes but also in matters in which a crime has not been committed but in which someone is charged with a civil wrong, such as willful pollution of air or water or causing industrial injuries
In simple words dead bodies tell how they are killed in there language and this language is known as aforensic science
Almost any science can be a forensic science because almost any science can contribute to solving a crime or evaluating a civil harm. In fact, with few exceptions, forensic sciences are no different in what they study than traditional sciences. The only difference is that forensic scientists apply the methods and techniques of established sciences to legal matters
History and Development of Forensic Science
History of Forensic science dates back to the 17th century with Archimedes, who detected fraudulence of a fake golden crown through the principle of density and buoyancy. During the 19th and 20th century it became more popular with a scientific approach.
Among the lot, a person who initiated the practical aspect of the scientific or forensic application for the criminal investigation was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Through his fictitious character Sherlock Holmes, he popularized the scientific method of investigation.
The Application of Forensic Science
The field of forensic science draws from a number of scientific branches, including physics, chemistry, and biology, with its focus being on the recognition, identification, and evaluation of physical evidence. It has become an essential part of the judicial system, as it utilizes a broad spectrum of sciences to achieve information relevant to criminal and legal evidence.
Forensic science may prove the existence of a crime, the perpetrator of a crime, or a connection to a crime through the:
Examination of physical evidence
Administration of tests
Interpretation of data
Clear and concise reporting
Truthful testimony of a forensic scientist
Forensic science has become an integral part of many criminal cases and convictions, with objective facts through scientific knowledge serving both defense and prosecution arguments. The testimony of forensic scientists has become a trusted component of many civil and criminal cases, as these professionals are concerned not with the outcome of the case; only with their objective testimony based purely on scientific facts.
The Organization of Forensic Science
Due to the highly complex field of forensic science, forensic scientists are most often skilled in a particular area of forensic science, such as latent prints, questioned documents, trace evidence, or firearms, just to name a few.
Forensic scientists may be divided into three, major groups:
Forensic Pathologists: These include medical examiners and other professionals who oversee autopsies and clinical forensic examinations
Forensic Scientists: These include forensic professionals working in law enforcement, government, or private forensic laboratories who are responsible for dealing with any number of specific tests and analyses, such as toxicology, ballistics, trace evidence, etc.
Associated Scientists: These include scientific professionals lending their knowledge to forensic science, such as forensic odontologists, forensic botanists, forensic anthropologists, etc. These scientists apply their knowledge to the forensic science field as to provide investigators with crucial information regarding everything from bite marks to insect infestation on the postmortem body.
Forensic science is therefore further organized into the following fields:
Trace Evidence Analysis
Forensic Toxicology
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Podiatry
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Optometry
Forensic Odontology
Forensic Linguistics
Forensic Geology
Forensic Entomology
Forensic Engineering
Forensic DNA Analysis
Forensic Botany
Forensic Archeology
Forensic Anthropology
Digital Forensics
Criminalistic
Forensic science often includes even more specialized fields, such as forensic accounting, forensic engineering, and forensic psychiatry, among others.
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