The Hot Issues and Future Direction of Forensic Document Examination in China

Abstract

The domain of forensic document examination consists of a variety of professional tasks related to the history and preliminary of questioned documents. The wide area of tasks implemented by forensic document examiners includes the skill to identify the authorship of handwriting and signature; discriminate among genuine, imitated, or disguised handwriting; to examine and analyze components of inks, papers, and other materials connected with documents; and other highly skilled analyses based on specialized technique. The field of handwriting examination is tightly related to empirical knowledge and practical experience. Handwriting is usually thought to be behavioral activities that are identifiable due to the appearance of features and characteristics within the writing. When we assess these features we universally analyze them in two aspects: Both quality and quantity of writing. As mentioned above, the evaluation of quality and quantity is performed by forensic document examiners. The problem is how to conduct this kind of evaluation related to empirical knowledge and experience. There is not consistent answer yet, although many researchers devote themselves to explore in this hot issue, such as mathematical methods applied in handwriting analysis. In this article, several mathematical methods applied to forensic document field are deciphered in domestic perspective of China. In the digital age, we all inevitably deal with problems with the help of computer or computer technology. We also pay close attention to the computer technique assistant in the field of forensic document examination. Standards or criteria of forensic document examination are still hot issues in China. Although we established a few standards or criterion based on requires of practice, it is also a lack of standards or criterion associated to trainees and continuing education in view of practitioners. At the end of this article, the author intends to discuss a piece of a challenge to forensic document examination, which are also universal issues abroad. Those who are critical of the current state of knowledge in this area argue that members of the judiciary have failed to sufficiently address the shortcomings of the forensic document evidence proffered in criminal trials. Specifically, critics of forensic document examination argue that little valuable wording exists in the report to support the validity and reliability of the methodology and findings of forensic document examination.