Abstract

This is the third of a trilogy of articles reviewing forensic science provision in the UK [5,6]. Forensic
science evidence plays a pivotal role in the resolution of many criminal cases, and how this evidence is processed
and reported from crime scene to court is of paramount importance to the correct functioning of the criminal
justice system (CJS). There are three different CJSs in operation within the UK, one for England and Wales and separate
systems for Northern Ireland and Scotland. Within these systems, forensic science services are provided
by different organizations. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, services are publicly funded and provided by the
Scottish Police Authority and Forensic Science Northern Ireland, respectively [6]. In England and Wales there
is a competitive market that was created following the McFarland Review in 2002 [7]. This has evolved to the
current fragmented market situation in which services are supplied mainly in-house by the 43 police forces (80%)
with the remaining 20% of services provided by three main private companies (Eurofi ns Forensic Services, Key
Forensic Services, and Cellmark Forensics, Inc.) along with a number of smaller companies. Such fragmentation
of provision requires regulation and this is provided by the Forensic Science Regulator (FSR). This article describes
the role of the FSR and looks at some of the issues that have emerged since the role was created