Who is a Forensic Scientist? What does a Forensic Scientist do?
There is a wide range of areas in which forensic scientists work. There are forensic scientists who are employed in labs that are part of a law enforcement agency (e.g. the six RCMP labs), who have degrees in some scientific field (e.g. biology, chemistry). An individual may study chemistry in university, and then get a job in a police lab to process evidence related to his or her area of expertise. However, as scientific evidence becomes more complex and as the public’s understanding of science increases, it is more important than ever that expert witnesses in court be qualified not only in their specific field, but also in the forensic field. Therefore, there are many institutions in Canada and the rest of the world where you can study forensic science in university or college. This means that you study disciplines such as biology, chemistry, anthropology, etc, and you learn how to apply that knowledge to process police evidence. Take a look at this excellent website for information
