Guilty or not guilty Public will decide during interactive forensic science event

Members of the public will be deciding the outcome of two realistic criminal trials based on two real murder cases as part of an exciting interactive event during the Cheltenham Science Festival (5 – 10 June).

‘Jury Live: DNA in the Dock’, which takes place on Saturday 9 June, will see Dr Lisa Smith (pictured) from our Department of Criminology team up with other forensics experts in order to engage with members of the public and teach audiences about the fascinating world of forensic science.

As part of the event, participants will be analysing criminal evidence and will gain an understanding of the important role forensic science plays in criminal cases.

The jury will be presented with the evidence and will ultimately have to decide if they believe the defendant is guilty or not.

Dr Lisa Smith said: “I’m delighted to be participating in this event at the Cheltenham Science Festival. The public has always been fascinated by crime-related stories, both in the news and in fiction, and I think this will be a great opportunity for members of the public to hear about two criminal cases and gain a better understanding of how forensic science contributes to trials and jury decision making. There is often a big difference between how forensic science is portrayed in fiction compared to the reality of criminal trials, so this is a great event for debunking some of the myths surrounding forensics.”

‘Jury Live: DNA In The Dock’ will take place at the Cheltenham Science Festival on Saturday 9 June between 8:30PM – 10:00PM at The Crucible, located at the Festival site at Imperial Square, directly behind Cheltenham Town Hall.