DNA Fingerprinting: A review of the criticisms of DNA evidence. Is it really the absolute identification evidence?

... LONDON SOUTHBANK UNIVERSITY Theodore Ninopoulos - Student No. 2151002 LLB Law -Year 3 - Full Time Dissertation May 2004 Supervisor: Mrs. Kathy Stylianou Word count: 9800 Title: "DNA Fingerprinting: A review of the criticisms of DNA evidence. Is it really the absolute identification evidence? TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction.................................................................................page 2 PART 1 "From the Crime Scene to the Forensic Lab" 1.1 Collection of DNA evidence.....................................................page 4 1.2 Technical Analysis................................................................page 9 1.3 Estimation of Match Probability................................................page 14 PART 2 "Retention of DNA Evidence" 2.1 The Development of Law......................................................page 17 2.2 Retention of DNA profile and Civil Liberties...............................page 21 PART 3 "Presentation of DNA evidence in Court" 3.1 DNA Fingerprint or Profile?...................................................................page 25 3.2 The controversy of Bayes Theorem...........................................page 27 3.3 The Prosecutors Fallacy.........................................................page 32 Conclusion................................................................................ page 36 Bibliography..............................................................................page 39 Introduction Today, DNA profile has been accepted by many as absolute identification evidence. Townley and Ede (2004) recognised its application to criminal law enforcement as the biggest development of human identification since the discovery of fingerprint in the start of the 20th century. Ebisike (2000) baptised it as the most powerful and

want to read more? →