The 597th meeting of the Sydney University Chemical Society will be held on Wednesday 10th March in Le Fèvre Lecture Theatre 2 of the Chemistry Building on the campus of The University of Sydney. The speaker will be Prof. Brynn Hibbert, School of Chemical Sciences, University of New South Wales

Scientist vs the Law

Prof. Brynn Hibbert

School of Chemical Sciences
University of New South Wales

 

How easy is it for a court to understand the intricacies of scientific evidence, particularly when obfuscated by clever cross examination?
What is the duty of a scientist to the courts?
Not to stand up (as in US TV shows) and declare the accused guilty as sin!

The lecture will be based on Professor Hibbert's work in the courts with drug runners, the occasional murder and more lucrative civil and patent cases, including remarks on the Methcathinone appeal judgement (NSWCCA (2002) R v Piggott, Griffiths and Simeon. New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal. NSWCCA 218), in which the national analytical laboratory was found to be not quite following its own SOPs.

(See Hibbert, D Brynn, Scientist vs the Law, Accred Qual Assur (2003) 8: 179-183.)

 

Wednesday 10th March at 5:30pm

Le Fèvre Lecture Theatre 2

Refreshments from 5:00pm