Opinions of Fingerprint Expert in Evidence Act

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume II, Issue VI, June 2017 | ISSN 2454-6194

Opinions of Fingerprint Expert in Evidence Act

Hlaing Htake Khaung Tin

   Faculty of Information Science, University of Computer Studies, Yangon, Myanmar

Abstract: – Increasing use is being made of various types of scientific evidence in court. The general requirement for the admissibility of such evidence is relevance. Although expert evidence is considered to be opinion evidence, it is admissible if it can assist the court to decide a fact in issue; provided that it is also reliable. This term paper is studied the opinions of fingerprint expert in evidence act. In evidence Act, when the court has to form an opinion upon a point of foreign law, or of science, or art, or as to identity of hand writing or finger impressions, the opinion upon that point of persons specially skilled in such foreign law, science or art, or in question as to identity of handwriting or finger impressions are relevant facts. The reason as well as opinion given by a fingerprint expert as to the identity of a palm impression is admissible in evidence. The evidence given by a fingerprint expert need not necessarily be corroborate but the court must satisfy itself as to the value of the evidence of expert in the same way as it must satisfy of the value of other evidence. The chief advantages of fingerprinting are practical: it is cheaper and faster than anthropometry, and, crucially, the recording of data and the taking of inked finger impressions (required only minimal training).

I. INTRODUCTION

A variety of scientific techniques are currently used for forensic purposes and new techniques and methods are constantly being added. Forensic science includes such diverse fields as forensic medicine, toxicology, psychology, and anthropology as well as the work of specialized examiners of fingerprints, firearms, tool marks, and disputed documents. We touch things every day: a coffee cup, a car door, a computer keyboard. Fingerprints can be found on practically any solid surface, including the human body. Each time we do, it is likely that we leave behind our unique signature in our fingerprints. No two people have exactly the same fingerprints. Even identical twins, with identical DNA, have different fingerprints. This uniqueness allows fingerprints to be used in all sorts of ways, including for background checks, biometric security, mass disaster identification, and of course, in criminal situations. Fingerprint analysis has been used to identify suspects and solve crimes for more than 100 years, and it remains an extremely valuable tool for law enforcement. One of the most important uses for fingerprints is to help investigators link one crime scene to another involving the same person. Fingerprint identification also helps investigators to track a criminal‘s record, their previous arrests and convictions, to aid in sentencing, probation, parole and pardoning decisions.

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