This paper reviews evidence placed before a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) established by the State of Queensland, Australia, to consider the quality and reliability of DNA evidence. It also assesses whether the criticism levied in that report, of ISO/IEC 17025 being insufficient to assure the quality and reliability of DNA evidence, is warranted. The main conclusion drawn is that properly applied and embraced as a means of continuous improvement, conformance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 alone is sufficient to assure the quality and reliability of the scientific outputs from a forensic science laboratory.
Furthermore, it is clear from the observations and findings of the CoI and those recorded in this paper that the forensic science laboratory in question did not conform to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Had it done so then the risk of the quality failures that led to the CoI would at least have been reduced and perhaps even avoided.
Practice at our Center shows that approach using 3D surface imaging for morphometric comparison of patterned injuries does not always lead to accurate conclusions.
We decided to evaluate whether a selection protocol focused on analysis phase could enable us to form an early assessment of the outcome of a comparison process, and then to select lesions likely to lead to a probative conclusion.
23 blunt objects were used to create 65 patterned injuries on an experimental model simulating human skin. A blinded analysis and a comparison were conducted on photographs and 3D models of the lesions. Statement of analysis phase was consistent with comparison results in most cases, enabling correct identification of the responsible object or at least keeping it as possibly responsible among 2 to 3 objects.
Our protocol has been demonstrated to improve ability to exploit patterned injuries from surface imaging, despite certain limiting factors.