Report Summary
This report provides members of the Forensic Services Committee with an overview of Digital Forensics – Next Steps and Timeline for Progression.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Forensic Services Committee - 30 October 2025
Date : 30 October 2025
Location : Online
Background
Police Scotland has been progressing work towards ISO 17025 accreditation for its five DF laboratories in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness.
Accreditation is not a legal requirement in Scotland; however, the credibility of forensic evidence still rests on robust methodology, documentation, and expert witness testimony. The work undertaken by the project in terms of standardisation, internal audit practices, documented procedures, and management oversight ensure casework quality and judicial process is not compromised.
Over the past four years, the Policing in a Digital World Programme (PDWP) ISO 17025 Project Team has achieved significant progress with regards to the journey towards accreditation and placed DF in a much stronger position. Around £1.1m has been invested into training of DF staff, and over a hundred documents, guidelines and processes have been written and published. A steady state tracker with over a hundred measurable indicators has been introduced across all laboratories, improving standardisation and providing a robust and consistent compliance framework. Quality Assurance processes have been embedded and continue to provide a solid foundation.
