Forensic Science Regulator
Definition
A statutory office in England and Wales, given formal powers by the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021, to set and enforce quality and accreditation standards for forensic science providers. Poor-quality or unaccredited work can be excluded by the court, but the Regulator does not itself decide admissibility.
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales
- Legal basis
- Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021
- Function
- Sets and enforces quality and accreditation standards
- Not the same as
- A court, does not decide admissibility itself
Common questions
Can the Forensic Science Regulator stop evidence being used in a trial?+
No. The Regulator can find a provider non-compliant and publish that finding, which a court may then weigh when deciding admissibility. The decision to exclude evidence still rests with the judge, not with the Regulator's office.
What happens to a lab found non-compliant?+
Non-compliance findings are published and the provider is expected to remediate. Courts, prosecutors, and defence teams can use a published finding to challenge the reliability of past or future work from that provider, which creates commercial and legal pressure to comply.
Related terms
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- CPD Part 35
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- Daubert Standard
- The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
- Duty to the Court
- The obligation of expert witnesses in UK proceedings (and, to varying degrees, in other jurisdictions) to assist the court with objective, unbiased...
- Frye Standard
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- Notice-and-Demand
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- Section 9 Statement (CJA 1967)
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- Statutory Evidentiary Shortcut
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Explained in these topics
- The Expert Geologist: Qualification, Report, and AdmissibilityA statutory or quasi-statutory body (in England and Wales, established formally under the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021) that oversees quality standards...
- The Statutory Role of the Forensic Laboratory