65314 Complex Cases

Description

This subject is designed as an advanced practical subject where the students apply techniques and principles gained in previous forensic subjects to process a mock case from the investigation of the crime scene to the writing of an expert witness report. It aims to familiarise the students with the management of a complex forensic case involving more than one type of trace. It is a practice-oriented subject involving crime scene investigation, forensic analysis of various types of traces previously studied (i.e. glass, soil, paint, fibres, hairs, documents, fingermarks, biological traces, tool marks, shoe marks, bullets and cartridge cases), results interpretation, and preparation of expert witness reports, with a strong focus on trace prioritisation based on relevant case information. The practice in the laboratory is complemented by various workshops, group discussions and presentations, where the students discuss their hypotheses, share their progress on the case, present their results to the class and further refine their understanding of forensic science as a whole.