Trust in forensic science evidence in the criminal justice system: The experience of marginalised groups

法医学最初被视为协助犯罪调查的突破性工具，尽管它正经历着可信度危机；政府、政策制定者和学者承认，对法医科学证据的信任和信心正受到威胁（英国上议院，2019年）。这个新颖的跨学科项目将研究在CJS的边缘用户中对法医科学证据产生不信任的地方，共同设计一个工具来减轻这种不信任。该项目将探索涉及DNA和数字证据的犯罪的用户视角和经验，深入了解在从犯罪现场到法庭的端到端过程中，公众对法医科学证据的准备、共享和呈现是如何形成理解的。它将在边缘社区和比较用户群体之间建立对法医科学证据的信任程度，以通过四个具体目标减轻不信任。首先，我们将研究现有的证据，围绕对法医科学的信任对一般公众，特别是对边缘化用户群体意味着什么。我们将把这一点与利益相关者、政策制定者、从业者和政府对信任的理解以及法医科学如何在整个CJS中使用进行比较。接下来，我们将调查利益相关者和法医科学专业人士对科学在何处可以加强调查或案件以及何时可能无法帮助提供答案的观点。第三，我们将共同设计两个互动参与式游戏。第一种方法将确定从证据收集到判决，不同用户群体愿意相信法医科学证据的阈值。小组互动参与式行动方法的目的是从边缘化社区（其声音通常被排除在外）和比较群体中获得有意义的观点。作为部分基于法医科学做出的决定的接受者，有必要了解用户如何、何时、何地信任科学，以及是否信任科学。第二个参与性游戏将开发用于在线使用，参与者将被邀请探索对CJS权威的信任，收集社区见解，以便在公共用户群体中建立基线信任水平。这些方法支持研究团队的承诺，使公众在整个设计过程中成为积极的共同设计师：数据收集、分析、构思、设计开发、测试和改进。最后，研究结果将用于迭代地与用户共同设计一个工具的原型，以衡量对法医科学证据的影响和减轻（不信任）。工具规范将在整个项目生命周期中开发，以确保相关的、可访问的和理想的设计，并与用户输入和支持其设计的证据一起交付。潜在的项目利益是多层次的。从理论上讲，该项目将从用户的角度，特别是边缘化社区的角度，为当前关于对法医科学证据的信任的辩论做出贡献。在方法上，它将采用跨学科的混合方法，包括定量调查、定性访谈、焦点小组、设计思维、公民科学、参与式游戏和迭代原型。这些将提供关于用户声音在不同CJS社区（用户、CJS员工和决策者）之间建立信任方面的作用的见解。在实践层面，该项目为利益相关者和用户之间的分析提供了机会，以深入了解法医学中信任的不匹配。研究结果将有助于减轻边缘化CJS用户之间的不信任，从而减少法医学使用中的紧张关系。

Forensic science was originally seen as a ground-breaking tool for aiding the investigation of crime, though is experiencing a crisis of credibility; government, policymakers, and academics acknowledge that trust and confidence in forensic science evidence is under threat (UK House of Lords, 2019). This novel, interdisciplinary project will examine where (dis)trust in forensic science evidence arises amongst marginalised users of the CJS, co-designing a tool to mitigate this distrust. The project will explore user perspectives and experiences with crimes involving DNA and digital evidence, developing insights into how public understanding is shaped around the preparation, sharing, and presentation of forensic science evidence in the end-to-end crime scene to courtroom journey. It will establish levels of trust in forensic science evidence amongst both marginalised communities and comparison user groups, to mitigate mistrust through four specific objectives. First, we will examine existing evidence around what trust in forensic science means to the public generally, and marginalised user groups specifically. We will compare this with stakeholder, policy, practitioner and government understandings of what trust means and how forensic science is used throughout the CJS. Next, we will investigate stakeholder and forensic science professionals' perspectives on where the science may enhance an investigation or case and when it might fall short of helping to provide answers. Third, we will co-design two interactive participatory games. The first will establish thresholds of where different user groups would be willing to trust forensic science evidence, from evidence gathering to verdict. The purpose of the small group interactive participatory action method is to garner meaningful perspectives from marginalised communities whose voices are typically excluded, and comparison groups. As recipients of decisions handed down partially based on forensic science, it is necessary to understand how, when and where the science is and is not trusted by users. The second participatory game will be developed for online use, where participants will be invited to explore trust in CJS authorities, gathering community insights for the purpose of establishing baseline trust levels across public user groups. These approaches support the research team's commitment to empowering the public as active co-designers throughout design: data collection, analysis, ideation, design development, testing, and refinement. Finally, findings will be used to iteratively co-design a prototype for a tool- with users, for users- to measure the implications and mitigation of (dis)trust in forensic science evidence. Tool specifications will be developed throughout the project lifecycle to ensure a relevant, accessible, and desirable design, delivered both with user input and evidence supporting its design. Potential project benefits are multi-layered. Theoretically, the project will contribute to current debates around trust in forensic science evidence from the user perspective, particularly marginalised communities. Methodologically, it will adopt an interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach, encompassing quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups, design thinking, citizen science, participatory games and iterative prototypes. These will provide insights on the role of user voice in establishing trust between different CJS communities: users, CJS staff, and policymakers. At a practical level, the project yields opportunities for analysis across stakeholders and users for an in-depth understanding of mismatches in trust in forensic science. Findings will help mitigate distrust amongst marginalised CJS users, thus reducing tensions in the use of forensic science.