Children and mud: mutually exclusive?!
At risk of sounding like an old person, I still have to ask at what point did children become allergic to outdoor entertainment involving mud, rain and a stick? I ask this seemingly inane question as...
View ArticleDon’t forget: breath alcohol levels continue to rise after you stop drinking!
I have just been watching Campbell Live where the presenters had a two-hour lunch with alcoholic drinks and then tested themselves with a breath alcohol screening device to see how they felt to drive...
View ArticleWhat is a standard alcoholic drink?
What IS a standard alcoholic drink? It’s a nightmare, that’s what it is. As a forensic alcohol toxicologist, the concept of a standard drink is somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent because the people...
View ArticleExpert evidence: can we learn from others?
One of the hardest things to do in life seems to be to learn from the mistakes of others. For example, when learning to drive (“mirror, signal, manoeuvre” has been devised for good reason, not, as...
View ArticleThe CSI effect – it’s still going…but changing shape?
Here is a link to an article on Stuff.co.nz today that deals with the CSI effect: TV shows having an influence on juries. As you will see, I added my two pennarth to it. In my experience over the last...
View ArticleOf zombies and children
“ ’Scuse me, but do dead bodies really look like zombies?” As questions go at the end of a presentation, this one took me by surprise – but I guess it shouldn’t have done so, given that I was speaking...
View ArticleProsecuting sexual assault cases – new approach?
When Judith Collins was Minister for Justice she suspended Law Commission work on alternative models for prosecuting criminal cases. The Law Commission had originally been asked to consider...
View ArticleOf the FBI and ESR: what can we expect forensic science to deliver?
I haven’t written a blog post for a loooong time. That’s because in the last year or so I have written another book (Forensic Science and the law: a Guide for Police, Lawyers and Expert Witnesses –...
View ArticleForensic Hair Analysis – does it get to the root of the problem?
Hair analysis is often referred to as hair follicle testing. It is commonly used in Family court matters to assess whether or not parents or caregivers who want access to children are drug-free. The...
View ArticleForensic pathology in New Zealand
In an article on 09 March 2016, Justice Brewer was described as saying that if he’s forced to adjourn a murder trial involving a Taupo toddler, he will be calling for an inquiry into New Zealand’s...
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