Expert Witness Blog
WebWire writes that computer forensic expert witnesses:
…deal with some of the most grave and serious of criminal cases that involve digital evidence. However it may be surprising to hear that currently there is no regulatory body to ensure the quality of their work, their security, and the expert’s individual’s background.
It is a different case for those forensic companies who work for prosecuting bodies such as police forces and law enforcement agencies, as they are normally independently regulated by the instructing body and undergo rigorous vetting. Forensic companies working solely for the defence however, have the same access to the same evidence involved in these cases, yet nobody is actively monitoring their activities. In theory a one man band with a computer and the appropriate software could take on criminal defence cases which range from fraud, terrorism and drugs offences, to indecent images of children and grooming charges.
The majority of criminal cases now include at least one form of digital evidence, whether it is a mobile phone, an iPod, or a computer, and where there is a prosecution there must be a defence. Computer Forensic companies providing defences are becoming involved with seriously high profile criminal cases on a regular basis and should undergo the same monitoring and regulation that the prosecuting bodies receive.