Ethics in Forensic Science: Professional Standards for the Practice of Criminalistics

Series:
Protocols in Forensic Science
Published:
June 27, 2001 by CRC Press - 232 Pages
Author(s):
Peter D. Barnett, Forensic Science Associates, Richmond, California, USA

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Hardback
$104.95
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ISBN 9780849308604
Cat# 0860
 

Features

  • Summarizes recommendations for professional conduct among forensic scientists, their supervisors, and their clients
  • Provides appendices showing existing codes of ethics from various forensic and legal societies, with special focus on the Daubert and Kumho decisions
  • Aids attorneys' understanding of what a forensic expert should and should not do
  • Focuses not on theory or philosophy, but the practical application of ethics on the job
  • Provides case studies, discusses the ethical dilemma involved in each, and gives suggestions how to resolve it

    • Summary

    With the complexity of the interactions between the methodology of science, the principles of justice, and the realities of the practice of law and criminalistics, ethical issues frequently arise. One of the hallmarks of a profession is a code of ethics to govern the actions of members of the profession with one another, with users of the professional service, and with those who are affected by actions of the practitioner. Ethics in Forensic Science: Professional Standards for the Practice of Criminalistics examines the necessity for a code of ethics for forensic scientists, describes the fundamental features of such an ethical code, illustrates some ethical conflicts that arise in the course of professional practice, and gives examples of resolution of some of these conflicts.
    This volume also describes the development of alternative ethical codes that have been adopted by forensic science organizations. It explores the strengths and weaknesses of varied codes and provides concrete examples that illustrate alternative courses of action that might be taken and how different codes of ethics may require, permit, or proscribe alternatives under consideration.

    Table of Contents

    Professionalism and Ethics: Why Should
    Professional Ethics Be Important to Those
    Who Provide Professional Services?
    Why Should Professional Ethics Be Important to
    Forensic Science Practitioners.
    Development of a Code of Ethics for Forensic
    Science.
    Application of Codes of Ethics: How Do Ethical
    Requirements Impact the Daily Work of a
    Forensic Scientist?
    Ethical Dilemmas: Review of Some Ethical
    Dilemmas and Their Resolution.
    Appendices.
    Bibliography.

    Editorial Reviews

    "The fact that this book adopts a fairly general approach to forensic disciplines is one of its strengths...It is therefore essential that we all have an awareness and an understanding of these ramifications of our work, and Barnett's book is a decent place to start. This book will be of particular interest and use to those who adopt a more practical rather than academic approach to their particular discipline, and is vital to those creating their own codes of conduct however for some of the functional approach of this book may leave you feeling slightly unfulfilled."
    -Tim Thompson

    "Peter Barnett has built an interesting framework and discussion of ethics as it relates specifically to forensic science. …very good contribution to the series Protocols in Forensic Science and will be very useful to forensic scientists."
    - Harold W. Peel, Ph.D., in Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science

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