Insights from the Panel Discussion of the 20th Congress ‘Criminalistics And Forensic Expertology: Science, Studies, Practice’ on the European Common Criminalistics (Forensic) Space: A Phantom, a Goal (Aspiration) or Reality?

Abstract

As we have already mentioned and written (Ackermann et al, 2020), in 2017 in Palanga the Lithuanian Criminalists’ Association, the Polish Forensic Association and the Ukrainian International Congress of Forensic Scientists signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a Federation of European Federation of National Associations of Criminalists.1 Until then, the international congresses organised by the Lithuanian Criminalists’ Association under the title ‘Criminalistics and Forensic Expertology: Science, Studies, Practice’ have been the main platform for cooperation between European criminalists. A very important event in the realisation of this idea was that at the end of 2023, the German Society of Criminalists expressed its wish to join the Memorandum. This added value to the idea, giving even more weight to the envisaged collaboration and, by joint efforts, helping to significantly broaden its geography, all while contributing to the creation of a common European criminalistic area. The aim of this paper is to highlight, through a scientific discussion, the possibilities of cooperation between forensic NGOs and the European academic community with a view to build a common European criminalistic area. The main objectives are: to assess the state of implementation of the vision of the European Common Forensic Space 2030 and the mechanisms in place; to present research-based proposals on the development perspectives of criminalistic science, studies and practice; to show the untapped opportunities for cooperation between forensic NGOs and academic institutions; and to present the final stage of the creation of the European Federation of National Associations of Criminalists as a possible coordination centre for forensic science. The methods used in this paper include comparative, systematic, and content analysis. The comparative method is used to assess changes in criminalistic policy-making in four European countries (Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine and Poland) versus contemporary threats, their nature and the influence of criminalistics. The content analysis method is used to identify important insights from criminalistic scientists in each country and to analyse scientific sources. The systems analysis approach is used to construct the conceptual content of the future European Federation of National Associations of Criminalists and to analyse its main determinants. The method of interviews with eminent criminalists from eleven countries has been of great value in demonstrating the relevance and reality of the scientific idea of the European Federation of National Associations of Criminalists.