‘It’s a theatre and we’re pawns’: taking the stand as an expert witness – podcast
By Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Joshan Chana, sound design by Joel Cox, the executive producer was Madeleine Finlay · Via The Guardian Science · Published by Everything Blog
In an interview with Ian Sample, Dame Sue Black detailed the personal toll and anxieties that accompany serving as an expert witness in major legal proceedings. Her extensive career encompasses identifying victims in scientific laboratories, conflict regions, and the wake of natural disasters. Black emphasized that presenting findings to a jury carries significant reputational risks alongside technical demands. Furthermore, she offered her critical perspective on the challenges shaping the future of forensic science.
Key points
Serving as a courtroom expert witness presents major professional and reputational hazard…: Serving as a courtroom expert witness presents major professional and reputational hazards for scientists.
Decades of fieldwork in disaster areas do not fully eliminate the terror of cross-examina…: Decades of fieldwork in disaster areas do not fully eliminate the terror of cross-examination.
Forensic anthropology faces critical shifts as specialists evaluate the ongoing future of…: Forensic anthropology faces critical shifts as specialists evaluate the ongoing future of their scientific discipline.
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As one of the world’s leading forensic anthropologists, Dame Sue Black has acted as an expert witness in a myriad of high-profile criminal cases. Her work has taken her from the lab to active war zones and the aftermath of natural disasters to identify victims’ bodies. Speaking to Ian Sample, the professor explains why standing up in front of a judge and jury has been one of the more terrifying parts of her career, the reputational risk of presenting evidence in court and what the future of forensic science could look like
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