The New Generation of Evidence in the Light of Historical Milestones in Criminalistics

Abstract

The five milestones in the historical path of modern criminalistics, as detailed by the authors, are fundamentally tied to the old continent, Europe. However, the quintet of evidence – clue, blood, neutron activation, DNA and electronic data – already reveals that, in recent decades, there has been a shift in focus both territorially and substantively to law enforcement and courtrooms. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are witnessing a paradigm shift; traditional, “craftsmanship”-based evidence has been replaced by what are known as second-generation evidence. Thorough understanding, exploration and evaluation of these are essential for modern, effective 21^st century criminal professionals working in criminal investigation, detection and ultimately in criminal proceedings.