Accreditation of Forensic Laboratories

Abstract

The modern trial requires that the results of forensic research are credible reliable, carried out according to standard procedures, and that the experts performing them have the highest competences. The guarantee of precision, reliability and trust in forensic expertise is rightly observed in the most important international standard for research, EN ISO/IEC 17025. The article presents specific requirements relating to the mandatory accreditation of forensic laboratories that conduct genetic and dactyloscopic tests. The role played by the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes in the area of accreditation is also discussed, with particular emphasis on the most recent ENFSI initiative related to the development of the document entitled “Vision of the European Forensic Science Area 2030”.