A Sample of digital forensic quality assurance in the South African criminal justice system

Abstract

Criminal investigations and the resulting criminal prosecutions are dependent on quality evidence to ensure convictions. With the increasing number of digital devices in our society, a significant amount of evidence is digital, and the discipline of digital forensics, as a forensic science, should ensure the validity of this digital evidence in court. As a forensic science, quality assurance is crucial in the practice of digital forensics, to assure the court that the evidence can be trusted. The research explored the current state of digital forensic quality assurance in the criminal justice system in South Africa to determine what quality assurance practices were used, to identify any problems, as well as possible causes of any shortcomings. The research identified significant deficiencies with regard to quality assurance in digital forensics, and identified areas that potentially could impact negatively in the court environment if contested. In summary, the general state of quality assurance practice in digital forensics was poor. Reasons identified for this included a lack of training in digital forensic science fundamentals, lack of training in quality assurance in digital forensics, high case loads, and poor supervision.