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

刑事司法系统中对法医科学证据的信任：边缘群体的经历

• 批准号: ES/Y010639/1
• 负责人: Lara Frumkin
• 金额: $ 67.07万
• 依托单位: The Open University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FY010639%2F1
• 关键词: Trust; forensic; science; evidence; criminal

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.

法医科学最初被视为协助犯罪调查的开创性工具，但正在经历可信度危机；政府、政策制定者和学者承认，对法医证据的信任和信心受到威胁(英国上议院，2019年)。这一新颖的跨学科项目将研究CJS的边缘化用户在哪里对法医科学证据产生(不信任)，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观点和经验，深入了解在从犯罪现场到法庭的端到端旅程中，如何围绕法医科学证据的准备、共享和展示形成公众理解。它将在被边缘化的社区和比较用户群体中建立对法医证据的信任水平，通过四个具体目标减少不信任。首先，我们将检查现有的证据，这些证据围绕着对法医科学的信任对公众意味着什么，特别是对用户群体的边缘化。我们将把这一点与利益相关者、政策、实践者和政府对信任意味着什么以及整个CJS如何使用法医科学的理解进行比较。下一步，我们将调查利益相关者和法医科学专业人士的观点，即科学可能在哪里加强调查或案件，以及何时可能无法帮助提供答案。第三，我们将共同设计两个互动参与式游戏。第一个将设定从证据收集到判决的不同用户群体愿意信任法医证据的门槛。小组互动参与行动方法的目的是从声音通常被排除在外的边缘化社区和比较群体那里获得有意义的观点。作为部分基于法医科学做出决定的接受者，有必要了解用户如何、何时、在哪里做出科学以及不受信任。第二个参与式游戏将开发用于在线使用，参与者将被邀请探索对CJS当局的信任，收集社区见解，目的是在公共用户群体中建立基线信任级别。这些方法支持了研究团队的承诺，即在整个设计过程中授权公众作为积极的联合设计师：数据收集、分析、构思、设计开发、测试和改进。最后，研究结果将被用来迭代地共同设计一个工具的原型--与用户，为用户--以衡量(不信任)法医证据的影响和缓解。将在整个项目生命周期中制定工具规范，以确保相关的、可访问的和理想的设计，并提供用户输入和支持其设计的证据。潜在的项目效益是多层次的。从理论上讲，该项目将有助于从用户的角度，特别是被边缘化的社区的角度，推动目前关于对法医证据的信任的辩论。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、重点小组、设计思维、公民科学、参与性游戏和迭代原型。这些将提供关于用户声音在不同CJS社区之间建立信任方面的作用的见解：用户、CJS工作人员和政策制定者。在实践层面上，该项目为利益攸关方和用户提供了分析机会，以深入了解法医科学信任方面的不匹配情况。调查结果将有助于减轻被边缘化的CJS用户之间的不信任，从而减少使用法医科学的紧张局势。