Straggler writes:
Well if human fingerprints genuinely are unique and can reliably be used to identify people then it is just a matter of technology capable of reliably and accurately doing the necessary pattern matching.
Jon writes:
Agreed, but computers aren't put on witness stands.
If the problem is with the human presentation of evidence rather than the evidence itself then that is a problem with the legal process. Not a problem with forensic science being somehow unscientific.
Jon writes:
Don't be silly. 'Experts' can be bought and sold like anyone else. Look at the oil 'scientists' who can't admit that global warming is a problem.
The fact that some scientists are deluded, incompetent or willing to lie for money doesn't make geology (in the case of 'oil scientists') or forensic science unscientific does it?
Straggler writes:
It seems that existing problems with fingerprinting are down to human elements that technology should eventually be able to overcome.
Jon writes:
The technical aspects of it, sure. But that certainly doesn't seem to be true about the legal aspects.
Then that is a problem with the legal process rather than anything to do with how scientific or unscientific fingerprint identification through pattern matching is.