Clarus: Building clarity and preventing bias in digital forensic examination, interorganisational communication and interaction

Clarus是一个多学科和多组织的联盟，由6个学术研究组织组成;来自6个欧洲成员国和联系国的4个法医和3个警察机构（LEAs）。Clarus将研究如何沟通，理所当然的做事方式，组织文化，学科背景，甚至性别和特定语言可以大大有助于在数字证据审查和调查的组织层面上做出有偏见的判断和错误的决定。Clarus将在最终用户的直接参与下，通过共同制作（1）模糊信息流和错误沟通点的地图;（2）关于组织文化，术语和沟通模式中误解，错误和偏见的潜在来源的报告来实现其目标;（3）具有多种语言参考点的通用词典，以及（4）用于提高数字取证的质量、公正性和可靠性的偏差检查工具。因此，Clarus将在欧洲法医数字证据领域产生与欧洲境内和跨境沟通，语言和词汇问题相关的新知识，并将突出执行公正法医程序的风险领域。Clarus的愿景是：通过检测非正式和正式机构间沟通方法中的偏见和错误的组织背景，以及实施共同的词汇和偏见检查工具，Clarus将提高客观性，中立性和公平性，以寻求在利用数字技术的恐怖主义和严重犯罪中获得更安全的司法结果。这将加强公民与警务、法医学和法院专业服务部门之间的沟通，提高效率和信任，从而“改进法医学和合法证据收集，提高逮捕罪犯和恐怖分子并将其送交法院的能力”。

Clarusis a multidisciplinary and multi-organisational consortium comprised of 6 academic research organisations; 4 forensic and 3 police agencies (LEAs) from 6 European member states and associated countries. Clarus will study how communication, taken-for-granted ways of doing things, organisational cultures, disciplinary backgrounds or even gender and specific languages can contribute significantly to a context for biased judgements and erroneous decisions at an organisational level in digital evidence examination and investigation. Clarus will achieve its objectives by co-producing, with the direct involvement of end-users, (1) a map of ambiguous information flows and points of miscommunication; (2) a report on potential sources of misunderstandings, errors and biases from organisational cultures, terminologies and communication patterns; (3) a common lexicon with reference points in multiple languages and (4) a bias checking tool for enhancing quality, impartiality and reliability of digital forensics. Clarus will thus produce new knowledge related to issues of communication, language and vocabulary, both within and across borders in Europe in the field of forensic digital evidence in Europe and will highlight areas of risk for the execution of unbiased forensic procedures. Clarus’ vision is: by detecting the organisational context for bias and errors in methods of informal and formal inter-agency communication, as well as the implementation of a common lexicon and bias checking tool, Clarus will improve objectivity, neutrality and fairness in the pursuit of safer justice outcomes in terrorism and serious crime exploiting digital technologies. This will enhance communication and improve efficiency and increase trust between citizens and the professional services in policing, forensic science and the courts leading to: "Improved forensics and lawful evidence collection, increasing the capabilities to apprehend criminals and terrorists and bring them to the court".