What reports critically evaluate the forensic field and question its foundational practices?

The reports that critically evaluate the forensic field and question its foundational practices are the NAS (National Academy of Sciences) report and the PCAST (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) report.

The NAS report, published in 2009, was a significant turning point in the forensic science community. It highlighted the need for scientific rigor in forensic practices and called for improvements in standards, validation, and the overall testing of forensic techniques to ensure their reliability and validity in legal contexts. This report laid the groundwork for a shift towards a more evidence-based approach within the forensic science disciplines.

Similarly, the PCAST report released in 2016 further scrutinized forensic methodologies and emphasized the importance of empirical research, statistical analysis, and a critical assessment of the probabilistic frameworks used in forensic science. It also urged for improvements in the scientific foundation of various forensic disciplines, which often relied on methods that had not been rigorously validated.

These evaluations from NAS and PCAST have spurred ongoing discussions about the need for reform and heightened standards in the forensic field, reinforcing the idea that practices must be based on sound scientific principles to uphold evidentiary integrity within the judicial system.