Editorial : new approaches in forensic analytical chemistry

Abstract

Some place their faith in forensic science to the degree that they are under the impression that it is absolute, infallible and unassailable. In truth it is a manmade construct, dependent on manmade machinery, man-calibrated accuracy, man-led action under manmade protocols and analyzed by man – an altogether human construct (American Academy of Forensic Sciences cited in Pyrek, 2007). People have always strived to discover and understand the world, and the scientific quest to provide explanations fuels technological progress. This drive has fuelled forensic chemistry, where information is obtained through the examination of various evidentialmaterials to assist the justice systempiece together stories of the past. Concurrently, the validity and reliability of the information provided by forensic experts, its ability to discriminate between the standpoints of defense and prosecution, is being questioned and challenged as never before (Pyrek, 2007; Fraser andWilliams, 2009)(...)