Target audience

Practitioners of all forensic disciplines – including reporting officers, lawyers, accreditation bodies – having a University degree (at least BSc) or an equivalent degree of a higher education programme.

The course is given in English. For exercises, discussions and one-to-one tutorials, English, German or French are available as further languages.

Introduction

Given by recognized specialists in the field, this online course covers the essentials of forensic interpretation applied to the solution of inferential problems in forensic science and in the administration of justice. It is designed to make practitioners at ease with a probabilistic approach to the evaluation and interpretation of forensic findings.

The content focuses on the so-called likelihood ratio, a measure that is supported by the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes and the UK’s Association of Forensic Science Providers due to its qualities such as coherency and transparency.

The course team also offers two other online short courses: Essentials of DNA interpretation and Advanced DNA interpretation. In addition, a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Statistics and the Evaluation of Forensic Evidence is proposed to forensic practitioners willing to acquire a comprehensive training.

Objectives

• Provide practitioners with a theoretical and practical background in probabilistic and statistical reasoning without leaving their desk (online course)
• Be able to apply the likelihood ratio approach in casework
• Help practitioners explain their reasoning in Court and feel at ease with expert debate and the published literature on interpretation
• Have specialized and up-to-date knowledge in the field of forensic interpretation and evaluation of forensic results
• Acquire a good knowledge of probabilistic reasoning and elements of Bayesian networks in forensic science
• Understand the principles of interpretation and the use of propositions at different levels (hierarchy of propositions)
• Acquire skills in written communication of uncertainty
• Identify the importance of pre-assessment

Topics

• Uncertainty in forensic science
• Nature of probability
• First reflections on forensic interpretation of scientific findings (concepts of uniqueness and individualisation)
• Evaluation of forensic findings with a logical approach
• Communication of results, relevant populations and pitfalls of intuition
• Introduction to a choice of specialized topic (fingermarks, Bayesian estimation, handwriting or transfer material such as fibers, glass, GSR or drugs).

The course is based on research that has been described as providing the essential building blocks for the proper assessment, understanding and communication of findings in the NAS report “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward”.

Instructors

• Prof. Christophe Champod
• Prof. Franco Taroni
• Prof. Alex Biedermann
• Dr. Sc. Tacha Hicks Champod

Consultants

• Prof. Colin Aitken, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
• Dr. Sc. Ian Evett, United Kingdom

The instructors have theoretical and practical experience with evaluation and interpretation from laboratory to courtroom. They have published over the years numerous scholarly papers and textbooks on the subjects of evaluation and statistics in forensic science.

Certification

• Certificate of participation
• 5 ECTS credits

Consult the regulations for the award of ECTS credits in the framework of a non-certifying programme (in French) as well as the specific award conditions for the course Essentials of Forensic Interpretation

Organisation

Organising Committee

• Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Programme coordination

• For academic questions : sefe@unil.ch

Practical information

Course venue

Online course

Dates and schedule

The course lasts 6 months with a workload per week of:

• 3 hours on the online platform,
• 1.5 to 2 hours of personal work.

Registration

Fill in the registration form and upload your CV online and copies of your diplomas.

Course fee

3,500.- Swiss Francs *

* 10% special discount for all participants who take a second course given by the committee

Registration deadline

July 30, 2021

Alumni testimonials

« Since completing your 2014 Essentials of Forensic Interpretation course, I have personally promoted it at every appropriate opportunity. Essentials of Forensic Interpretation is a great course and I have professionally benefited so much from it. » Charles Eggleston

« This is a superb course and I will continue to recommend it to others. It has helped me enormously and has really clarified my thinking about effective interpretation and communication. I will miss working with you and would certainly be interested in further study on your courses. » Paul Olden, Forensic Scientist (Firearms), Key Forensic Services, UK.