Ethics in Forensics Science: Professional Standards for the Practice of Criminalistics

With the complexity of the interactions between the methodology of sci ence, the principles of justice, and the realities of the practice of law and criminalistics, ethical issues frequently arise. One of the ha llmarks of a profession is a code of ethics to govern the actions of m embers of the profession with one another, with users of the professio nal service, and with those who are affected by actions of the practit ioner. Ethics in Forensic Science: Professional Standards for the Prac tice of Criminalistics examines the necessity for a code of ethics for forensic scientists, describes the fundamental features of such an et hical code, illustrates some ethical conflicts that arise in the cours e of professional practice, and gives examples of resolution of some o f these conflicts.