The Accreditation of Forensic Service Providers (Amendment) Regulations 2019

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Accreditation of Forensic Service Providers Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1276) (“the 2018 Regulations”). The 2018 Regulations provide that law enforcement agencies must use accredited forensic service providers to carry out laboratory activity in relation to DNA and fingerprint evidence.

Regulation 2(2) and (3) of these Regulations amends regulation 4 of the 2018 Regulations in respect of laboratories at Aldermaston, Fort Halstead and Porton Down which carry out laboratory activity on items requiring specialist handling and containment due to the presence of hazardous chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material or explosive material. Regulation 2(2) and (3) makes amendments so that the requirement for accreditation for the purposes of the 2018 Regulations is satisfied where that laboratory activity is carried out by or under the supervision of an individual employed by an accredited forensic service provider to carry out laboratory activity.

Regulation 2(4) ensures that, for the purposes of the 2018 Regulations, the results produced under this approach are to be regarded as equally reliable as the results of laboratory activity carried out under the other provisions of the 2018 Regulations.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.