Forensic Science Unit Opens Its Doors

A NEW centre dedicated to forensic science was officially opened last night to meet growing international interest in the field.

The Centre for Forensic Science, based at Strathclyde University, is an expansion of the establishment’s worldrenowned Forensic Science Unit.

Opened by Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, the centre will provide a comprehensive range of educational, research, and consultancy services to laboratories, the police, and other agencies. There are also plans for it to bid to host the world’s largest forensic science meeting in 2008.

Professor Jim Fraser, its director, said: “Forensic science is undergoing a global expansion and becoming increasingly important, both as an area of study and to the criminal justice system. The police, courts and juries are also increasingly demanding more objective scientific evidence.”

Legislative changes, such as the creation of national DNA databases, have increased the science’s potential, while advances in technology have led to the solving of many decades-old cases.