Casework Peer Review
Definition
Independent review of a forensic expert's findings and conclusions by a second qualified specialist before the report is issued. The standard model distinguishes verification (was the work done correctly) from review (are the conclusions justified by the data).
- Purpose
- Independent check before a report is issued
- Verification
- Was the work done correctly
- Review
- Are the conclusions justified by the data
- Field
- Expert witness quality assurance
Common questions
How does verification differ from review in this process?+
Verification is a technical check that procedures, calculations and documentation were carried out correctly, while review is a separate judgment on whether the stated conclusions actually follow from the data, and a case can pass one without automatically passing the other.
Why is peer review required before a forensic report is issued, not after?+
Catching errors before a report reaches investigators, prosecutors or a court prevents flawed conclusions from entering the case record and having to be retracted later, which is far more damaging to the case and to the laboratory's credibility.
Related terms
- Expert Witness
- A person whose specialised knowledge is accepted by a court and who gives opinion evidence, not just factual evidence. Forensic auditors frequently...
- Forensic Science Regulator (FSR)
- A statutory regulator in England and Wales established by the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021. The FSR sets a mandatory Code of...
- IAFS
- The International Association of Forensic Sciences, one of the major professional bodies for forensic scientists globally. Membership signals engagement with the wider...
- Impartiality Duty
- The obligation on an expert witness to provide the same opinion regardless of which party instructed them. An expert who would change...
- ISO/IEC 17020
- The international standard specifying requirements for the competence of inspection bodies, covering their activities, management systems, and operational procedures. Applied to forensic...