ABSTRACT
Important questions have been asked about the legitimacy of forensic science. These questions are central to public confidence in the field and discussions of its professional status. Professions involve boundary work and decisions about which knowledge and skills are included and which are not. They can often be distinguished from other occupations by meeting criteria in accordance with various professional benchmarks. This chapter considers the professional status of forensic science and specific forensic disciplines. It then considers emerging trends and issues with respect to key aspects of professionalisation. These include issues surrounding governing bodies and the development of standards and accreditation processes. Other key aspects include debates on the most suitable education and training for forensic scientists, and the role of experience and personal attributes. These discussions feed into considerations of proficiency and expertise testing. The chapter includes case studies on crime scene examination, which exemplify the kinds of institutional dynamics that impact forensic practice. From a critical forensic studies perspective, it is not only the presence of suitable expertise benchmarks for each profession, but also the ongoing critical scrutiny of their operation in practice that are essential for the continued legitimacy and quality of the system.
