Forensic Science Consultancy: Forensic Access – its friends and relations

Article taken from Issue 3 of the Forensic Access Newsletter "Benchmark"

Forensic Access is Britain’s leading independent forensic science consultancy. It was established in 1986 in response to concerns that scientific evidence was not being properly tested at court, mainly because the Crown had the monopoly on scientists with the relevant training and experience. The company routinely provides defence lawyers with the skills and expertise that were historically almost entirely confined to police laboratories. It is also engaged by investigating and prosecuting authorities to ensure that no stone is left unturned, and by commercial concerns when it can bring the full force of its investigative skills to bear in areas such as product contamination, extortion and fraud.

Forensic Access scientists are all highly qualified and experienced career forensic scientists – originally from the Forensic Science Service, the Metropolitan Police Laboratory or LGC Forensics. Their specialist fields complement each other so that, together, they constitute a formidable team, expert in all the main disciplines of forensic science.

In 1997, in response to pressure from investigators for a more dynamic scientific service and from forensic scientists for a more supportive, science-focused environment in which to work, Forensic Access established Forensic Alliance Ltd – the first, and only, independent supplier of comprehensive forensic science services to police and other investigators. In a relatively short time Forensic Alliance developed an enviable reputation for unleashing the power of science to solve complex, intractable investigations and for generating innovative solutions to deal quickly and efficiently with the smaller, more common types of case. Forensic Alliance now forms part of LGC Forensics.