THEORETICAL BASICS OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Abstract

The paper is a theoretical consideration on the scientific evidence in a criminal proceeding, presented as following: the explanation of the term “scientific evidence”, the review of the existing definitions of scientific evidence (i.e. by methodological, methodical and normative enumeration), a proposal of a general, classic definition of the scientific evidence. It also shows criteria to identify the “correctness” of the scientific evidence, from inter-subjective controllability and communication, validation of the test method, interpretation of the results of its application with the use of a likelihood ratio, up to a critical analysis of Frey’s standard and Daubert’s standard. The paper concludes with a discussion on selected concepts of the scientific evidence assessment for the purposes of criminal proceedings.