by PETER BATES, Ph.D. MSB. C.Biol. FRES – Veterinary Entomologist
Forensic entomology is used by law enforcement agencies throughout the world to estimate the point of death (post-mortem interval or PMI) of a human corpse through the analysis of its invertebrate fauna. Forensic entomology can also be used to aid in the enforcment animal health regulations.
by PAUL VELLA of Evidence Matters
SATNAV DEVICES HAVE become so commonplace in modern society that I wonder if in a few years when I explain to my young children whether they will believe me when I tell them that we used to drive to places by simply ‘knowing’ how to get there or by reading a map.
Yet, the SatNav hasn’t been around very long. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was established in 1973 by the US Department of Defense and comprises of at least twenty-four satellites (there are currently twenty-nine operational satellites in orbit). These satellites transmit a synchronised time signal, which allows a device on earth to calculate how far away each of the satellites are (based on how long it has taken the signal to reach the device), and can then triangulate its position provided it has received signals from at least three satellites.
by JULIAN ELLIS OBE M.Phil C.Text FTI MRSC MAE, Chartered Textile Technologist
THE TWO TYPES of case described below indicate some of the wide range of cases that the textile technologist can deal with.
Counterfeit textiles are big business, because of the mark-up on some branded goods. When examining items in relation to counterfeiting prosecutions, the task is particularly difficult if there has been a delay between the seizure of the allegedly counterfeit goods by Trading Standards and the request for expert examination from the defence. The problem arises because countersamples from an impeccable source are much more difficult to obtain, as the season may have changed and identical goods are no longer available. Therefore examination must take place comparing similar goods.
JOE HOY, of Focus Forensic Telecommunications Ltd, explains the new challenges for the analyst of 3G mobile phone systems.
The second generation (2G) GSM mobile phone system was released on an unsuspecting world in the early 1990s – unsuspecting in the sense that no-one understood the profound changes to personal communications that were about to happen.
ADRIAN PALMER, director of Palmer Legal Technologies, explains how organising an IT system can help with disclosure.
Email continues to be one of the most pervasive and critical of business tools. Virtually every client of a law firm, whether large or small, will rely upon email as a primary means of communication. Employment, regulatory and litigation specialists should all be familiar with the need to search for and review their client's email 'documents'.
