INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY

• Jurisdiction: Australia

[97.50] Overview

Locard (1928) seems to have been the first to draw attention to the notion that, in essence, every action leaves its history on the immediate environment: see Chapter 98, Crime Scene Examination. While history at a crime scene or on the clothing of those suspected of being associated with the scene may sometimes only be "read" with the aid of microscopic or chemical enhancement techniques, it is there nonetheless. A "crime scene" is the term used to define a location that is associated with a suspicion of criminality and is often associated with blood/bloodstains if it is associated with a crime of violence.

It is common wisdom supported by considerable research that eyewitness reports or...