Forensic science providers: codes of practice and conduct
Codes of practice and conduct for forensic science providers and practitioners in the criminal justice system.
This collection brings together the revised codes of practice and conduct and previous versions, along with the associated appendices and guidance documents.
Some of these documents were refreshed to make them fully accessible on 22 September 2020. Previous versions of these documents can be found on The National Archives.
Codes of conduct and practice
Appendices
Regulatory notices
Guidance documents
Updates to this page
Published 5 September 2014Last updated 31 October 2021 + show all updates
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Link added in appendices area to guidance on analysis and reporting of whole blood specimens in relation to s5A Road Traffic Act 1988.
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Guidance on DNA relationship testing using autosomal short tandem repeats added.
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Guidance on methods employing Rapid DNA devices published.
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Added guidance: Y-STR profiling.
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Added 'Forensic science providers: codes of practice and conduct, 2021, issue 7'. These are the revised codes of practice and conduct for forensic science providers and practitioners in the criminal justice system. This is the seventh issue of the codes. It is issued to reinstate section 23.4 omitted in error from issue 6. These are effective from 22 March 2021 and replace all previously issued versions from that date.
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Added the Forensic science providers: codes of practice and conduct, 2021 document.
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Added new document to the appendices - Development of evaluative opinions.
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Added the Regulatory Notice 03/2020: Deadline for accreditation of incident scene investigation document.
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Proficiency testing guidance on DNA mixture analysis and interpretation added.
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Guidance and requirements on sexual assault examination added.
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Added the Forensic science providers: codes of practice and conduct, 2020 document.
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Regulatory notice 01/2020 published on the effect of COVID-19 on accreditation.
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New guidance on validation friction ridge detail fingerprint search algorithm added.
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New guidance on validation friction ridge detail fingerprint search algorithm added.
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Regulatory Notice on image enhancement published.
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Updated collection.
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Guidance on terminology, fingerprint comparison and fingermark visualisation published.
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Added anti-contamination guidance for sexual assault referral centres.
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Added crime scene DNA anti-contamination guidance
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Codes of conduct and practice 2016 added to collection.
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Bloodstain pattern analysis codes of practice document published.
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Guidance on method validation added.
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First published.