Forensic Science provides a comprehensive overview of the sociology of forensic science. Drawing on a wealth of international research and case studies, it explores the intersection of science, technology, law and society and examines the production of forensic knowledge.

Christopher Lawless is associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Durham University. He specializes in the application of science studies to legal and regulatory issues, with specific research interests focusing on forensic science, criminal investigation and critical infrastructures. Chris originally trained as an analytical biochemist, gaining a BSc in biochemistry and microbiology (Sheffield) and an MRes in instrumentation systems (UCL) and made the transition to the social sciences via a PhD at Durham University, focusing on the sociology of forensic scientific reasoning.

Chapter 1: Forensic Studies: From Crime Scene to Court and Beyond

Chapter 2: Forensics in the Media

Chapter 3: Shaping forensic science as discipline and profession

Chapter 4: Forensic and Biometric Policy in the UK

Chapter 5: Reconstructing a reconstructive science

Chapter 6: Law-science interactions and new technology

Chapter 7: Forensic DNA Technology: Social and Ethical Issues

Chapter 8: Facial Recognition

Chapter 9: Digital Forensics

Chapter 10: Conclusion: Imagining and Re-imagining Forensic and Biometric Technologies