Role of forensic science in the Indian criminal justice system

WHAT IS FORENSIC SCIENCE?

Forensic science is the application of science to those civil and criminal laws that are enforced by governmental agencies like police, CID, etc. In a criminal justice system. Forensic science deals with the application of methodology and knowledge of various aspects of science to legal matters. It involves the use of multiple disciplines such as chemistry, physics, computer science, biology and engineering for evidence analysis. For instance, biology is used to establish the source of an unidentified suspect, physics to understand the pattern of a blood spatter, and chemistry is used to understand the composition of drugs. That’s why they use and role of forensic science in the Indian criminal justice system is highly critical, but often underrated. (1)

SCOPE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE, FORENSIC BIOLOGY OR DNA

DNA profiling and fingerprint analysis are commonly used forensic techniques in a criminal investigation. DNA shows the uniqueness of an individual, just as fingerprint, and helps forensic departments in identifying an unidentified person or to eliminate suspect’s from a list of accused. The biological evidence is most commonly used for DNA profiling includes saliva, blood, skin, semen, hair, and urine. However, DNA fingerprints are usually never used as a single piece of evidence in the courts. (2)

ROLE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Without forensic science, the criminal investigation is incomplete because if the investigation completes without forensic science than criminals can never be convicted without or unless an eyewitness is present. While law enforcement agencies and detectives are involved in the collection of evidence, be it digital or physical, it is the duty of forensic science to deal with the analysis of those pieces of evidence in order to establish those facts which can be admissible in the court of law. Thus, in a world devoid of forensic science, thieves, murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers would be roaming freely on the streets.

The responsibilities and duties of a forensic scientist in a criminal investigation is very crucial because it involves a careful examination of evidence with due care so that it can not tamper. There is a diverse pool of forensic tools and forensic scientists are involved in the investigation of the crime. For instance, a forensic scientist is skilled in there work the pathologists can easily determine the cause of death by performing autopsies. An autopsy helps in establishing the manner of death and cause of death by the examination of body tissues and fluids. Forensic scientists analyze physical pieces of evidence like fingerprint, hair, blood, etc. After collecting all the evidence from the crime scene it helps the authorities to identify the suspects. Forensic scientists also use image modification tools for search of the criminals absconding from the law for a long time. This image modification tool helps to enable them a digitally age a photograph to understand how the individual would look on aging. (3)

IMPORTANCE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN THE LAW

The word ‘forensic’ is taken from the Latin word ‘forenses’, which means a ‘forum’. Forensic science involves the preservation, collection, and analysis of evidence suitable for prosecuting an offender in the criminal court. The application of forensic science in the Indian criminal justice system, therefore, gives a clear picture.

The justice and legal system widely recognize the role of forensic science In the trial of criminal offenders for pieces of evidence. This is because when the scientific methods and techniques are used, there is not much scope left for injustice and biases. That’s why DNA profiling and another type of forensic evidence are widely accepted in the courts of the whole world. Forensic evidence is extensively used worldwide to both exonerate and convict defendants. Thus, forensic science laboratories have grown so widely all over the world in the past couple of decades. In fact, special Acts have been enacted in Canada, the US, and Australia to improve the quality and system of forensic science.

CONCLUSION

Forensic science plays a very vital role in the Indian criminal justice system. The main task for forensic science is that to get adequate results and facts and the need is fulfilled by well trained medical examiner’s and forensic scientists and they are the determining factor in the ability of evidence to adequately represent the facts of the case. The benefit of forensic science is that it can be used in any criminal case; however, investigations of murder, rape, homicide, etc. Are those crimes that benefit the most from forensic science. For every case which is being tried in the court of law scientific evidence is required to prove the crime. And to make this task easier the Indian criminal justice system adopted the forensic science system for giving the scientific conclusion to the cases.

This is the time of the knowledge revolution, and this revolution has resulted in technological advancement leading to a sudden and drastic rise in the crime rate in India. And after that the need to improve the justice system rises and for that this forensic science came into existence to give the scientific reasons for the cases because for every case nowadays forensic science gives the scientific evidence which is required to prove the guilt or innocence of the suspect which helps in giving the judgment according to the law. (4)

[Author Alok Kumar is a 3rd Year student at Maharaja Agrasen Institute Of Management Studies]

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_science
2. http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/601/Forensic-Science.html
3. https://www.theprotector.in/role-of-forensic-science-in-the-criminal-justice-system/
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301338922_The_role_of_forensic_science_
   in_effective_administration_of_criminal_justice_system_in_India