FSR Codes of Practice and Conduct
Definition
Mandatory requirements issued by the UK Forensic Science Regulator under the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021, governing exhibit management, method validation, contamination control, and quality management for all forensic science providers in England and Wales.
- Issued under
- Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021
- Scope
- England and Wales forensic science providers
- Covers
- Exhibit management, method validation, contamination control
- Status
- Mandatory, not voluntary guidance
Common questions
What happens if a laboratory fails to comply with the FSR Codes of Practice and Conduct?+
The Regulator can issue a compliance notice requiring corrective action within a set timeframe, and if non-compliance continues, it can report the matter to bodies such as the courts, the provider's accreditation body, or Parliament, which can affect a provider's ability to supply evidence for criminal proceedings.
How do the FSR Codes relate to ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation?+
ISO 17025 sets the general international standard for testing and calibration laboratory competence, while the FSR Codes build on and add forensic-specific requirements on top of it, such as contamination control and case-specific validation, so UKAS accreditation to 17025 is treated as necessary but not sufficient on its own.
Related terms
- ASTM E1492
- Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory: establishes container requirements for fire debris (metal can...
- BSA 2023 (Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023)
- India's evidence law that replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872, governing the admissibility of documents and expert opinions in Indian courts; together...
- Chain of Custody (CoC)
- The documented sequence of individuals who had possession of, access to, or control over a physical exhibit from the moment of its...
- Court Sample
- In India under the NDPS (Seizure, Storage, Sampling and Disposal) Rules 2014, a duplicate sealed sample drawn at the time of seizure...
- DEA Form DEA-7
- The US Drug Enforcement Administration's Report of Drug Property Collected, Purchased or Seized: the primary chain-of-custody document that records every custodian, transfer...
- Mahazar (Panchnama)
- In Indian criminal procedure, a document drawn at the time of search and seizure in the presence of independent witnesses (Panchas), recording...
- Permeability (Packaging)
- The rate at which molecules of a gas or vapour pass through a solid membrane. Polyethylene has significant permeability to volatile organic...
- Tamper-Evident Sealing
- Packaging closure that makes any opening of the package visible: heat-sealed bags, security adhesive tape with a void pattern that transfers on...
- TWGFEX / SWGMAT
- Technical Working Group for Fire and Explosion Investigation (now the OSAC Ignitable Liquids, Explosives, and Gunshot Residue Subcommittee): the US body that...