Date: 8th November 2019, 18:00
Venue: Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences Centre for Clinical Pharmacology

The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, in collaboration with BAFS, presents a one day conference bringing together practitioners and stakeholders from the criminal justice sector and forensic science. This conference is aimed at all those working in forensic practice, police investigation, training and research and the learning outcomes should be relevant to every role within our profession. This is of particular interest to those looks to look at innovative ways of working and driving collaborative working

Aims & Objectives:

• To bring Forensic scientists and members of the legal community together – such a forum doesn’t currently exist
• To inform members of both communities of the issues/challenges/initiatives and experiences in their respective areas
• To discuss and highlight ways Forensic Scientists and members of the CJS can work more collaboratively
• Increase Forensic Science awareness within CJS practitioners (with follow up discipline sessions if identified)
• Increase CJS awareness within Forensic Science practitioners ((with follow up discipline sessions if identified)
• Provide an opportunity for CPD for both sets of practitioners
• Provide a networking opportunity for all attendees

Draft Conference Programme

09.30 - 10.00 Registration

10.00 - 10.10 Opening and Introduction - Dr Anya Hunt, CEO, The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences & Richard Talbot, Head of Operations, Cellmark Forensic Services

Session Chair: Richard Talbot

10.10 - 10.40 Keynote session - Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, CPS

10.40 - 11.10 Forensic Science Regulator's Office

11.10 - 11.30 Refreshments

11.30 - 12.00 Judge Mark Wall QC tbc

12.00 - 12.30 Experts in the Coroners Court - Professor Robert Forrest FCSFS

Lunch

Session Chair: Dr Meng Aw-Yong, President, BAFS

13.20 - 13.50 Contactless Forensic Science Reporting - Jo Millington, Millington Hingley Ltd tbc

13.50 - 14.20 EWI speaker tbc

14.20 - 14.40 Refreshments

14.40 - 15.10 Transforming Forensics - Kirsty Faulkner tbc

15.10 - 15.40 Vicki Burgin, Deputy Director EMSOU-FS

15.40 - 16.10 Reflections on Justice in the USA: American Beauty or An American Horror Story? - Professor Nikolas Lemos, Director, Cameron Forensic Medical Sciences

16.10 - 16.20 Closing remarks - Dr Anya Hunt

Date: 9th December 2019, 18:00
Venue: Gordon Museum of Pathology
Speaker: Jo Millington

The role of a bloodstain pattern in an investigation can evolve significantly from crime scene to court. Through this process the BPA evidence can be considered by multiple actors with various remits, from the initial investigation and into the subsequent court process … and beyond. The investigator may initially use the distribution of bloodstains to identify possible mechanisms of production. When suspects are identified, the bloodstaining will be evaluated in light of the accounts that have been provided.

Throughout the criminal justice process, the analyst will be required to present an evidence-base that substantiates their observations and supports the conclusions that they present to the court. This can include to decision-makers whose only experience of BPA is from the television.

The BPA findings may also be assessed by other scientists, instructed on behalf of the defence or as part of a post-conviction review, and their role may include consideration of the original case record against a completely new set of propositions.

The original bloodstain pattern analyst must therefore ensure that their records can support every stage of the enquiry. The record must be consistent, comprehensive and complete, so that anyone who reviews their work can investigate the bloodstains as though they were looking through the original investigators eyes.

In this talk, Jo Millington will discuss the role of bloodstain patterns across a number of criminal case investigations and, with the help of the audience, attempt to interpret some of the bloodstain patterns that have recently gained notoriety, thanks to Netflix et al.