18. End User Commentary on The Application of Forensic Soil Science in Case Work and Legal Considerations

This chapter by Dawson, Parratt and Auchie covers the application of soil science in forensic case work and presents a full discussion of the use of soil traces in criminal law enforcement. It describes the legal context one has to be aware of, the many characteristics of soil that can be examined, and the presentation of the obtained results in reports and courts in the UK with its common law and adversarial legal system. This chapter showcases what has been achieved in the development of approaches and methods used in forensic soil science up to the current times. It discusses some anticipated or desired future developments, including outlining the necessary considerations for use of such new approaches in case work. It importantly outlines the main legal aspects, of relevance for any novel approach or new method of analysis being tested and validated for use in case work, as described in this and the other chapters of the book.