To get involved in these areas a person must first join the Gardaí and apply for any vacancy in the relevant section when it arises. Some time could also be spent attending at crime scenes and lecturing to Gardaí on the work of the laboratory.Īn Garda Síochána undertake certain types of forensic work, such as crime scene examination and fingerprint detection and identification. The scientist would frequently present the work orally to a court and defend that work under legal cross-examination. The scientist would then write a report on the results for the Gardaí and the Director of Public Prosecutions. The job thus involves analytical laboratory work using quite a wide range of instrumental techniques. A scientist would take full responsibility for the scientific work required in a criminal case. Typically, an analyst would work closely with a scientist on particular cases and would also take responsibility for certain areas of general laboratory work. All staff employed in the laboratory are civil servants. Work by the laboratory is carried out mainly for the Gardai and through them for the courts. Based at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, the Forensic Science Laboratory’s objective is to assist in the investigation of crime and to serve the administration of justice in an effective manner by a highly trained and dedicated staff providing scientific analysis and objective expert evidence to international standards.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is an associated office at the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (DJELR) and provides a scientific analytical service in criminal investigation. They employ cutting-edge technology and scientific theory to search for clues and aid police investigations. Forensic scientists study crime scenes, run scientific tests and provide impartial evidence to be used in a court of law.

What does a forensic scientist do