Forensic Science: from Crime Scene to Court

By Colonel Dr. Abdel qader Al Amri, Director of the Sharjah Police Forensic Science Lab

Forensic Science is the application of special skills within the disciplines of chemical and natural sciences to the analysis of physical evidence. Outcomes of these analyses are interpreted in an outlook that is valuable in the forensic context. The effect of intense media scrutiny on both the role and competency of the forensic scientist as well as the validity of the conclusions reached has rendered it to be among the most publicly debated topics. These debates can range from the improper collection, labeling, packaging and preservation of physical evidence, to the possibility of contaminations as well as to the use of improper methods of analysis.

This seminar is meant to give an overview of the role of a classical Forensic Science laboratory in linking a suspect(s) to a certain case with emphasis to the nature of physical evidence received and to the techniques and skills that were used to obtain valuable information from its identification and characterization. The significance of using standard operating procedures on the validity of the results will be discussed in an effort to demonstrate the serious consequences of bad practice in this field. Furthermore, the vital role of the interpretational skills in increasing the weight of the evidence to be presented in court will also be focused on. A special emphasis shall be put on the pivotal role of crime scene search with particular examples from actual forensic case histories.The chemistry discussed will be limited to a minimum core of facts and principles that hopefully will make the subject matter both comprehensible and meaningful to a general audience.

Dr. Abdel qader has kindly agreed to speak to students interested in a career in Forensics, with the possibility of joining or interning at the Sharjah Police Forensics Lab. This lecture is organized as part of the Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences Seminar Series.

For more information please contact [email protected]