Quality management system in forensic science: An African perspective

J H Smith; J S Horne

doi:10.1016/j.fsisyn.2024.100476

Quality management system in forensic science: An African perspective

Forensic Sci Int Synerg. 2024 Apr 30:8:100476. doi: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2024.100476. eCollection 2024.

Authors

J H Smith¹, J S Horne²

Affiliations

¹ School of Criminal Justice, University of South Africa, Preller St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
² Department of Police Practice, School of Criminal Justice, College of Law, University of South Africa, Preller St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.

Abstract

Critical issues in forensic science quality management have emerged in recent decades. The debate on accrediting quality management systems of forensic laboratories is relevant to the African context. Neuteboom, Ross, Bugeja, Willis, Roux, and Lothridge (2022) have conducted a comprehensive survey exploring critical issues in their article "Quality Management in Forensic Science: A Closer Inspection." Their work is a crucial foundation for our discussion, urging the African forensic community to engage in more in-depth conversations. This letter briefly describes the survey, discussing embracing the Sydney Declaration (SD) for Forensic Sciences and issues of quality management systems comprising standards, accreditation, and potential regulation, and highlights the issue of cognitive competency from an African perspective. This underscores the urgent need for critical dialogue, emphasizing that the time for action is now, and urges practitioners, particularly in Africa, to enhance quality management systems to deliver superior forensic products.

Keywords: Accreditation; Africa forensic science; Peer review; Quality management system.