Professor Carole McCartney

Dr McCartney is Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at Leicester Law School and convenes the Criminal Law research cluster. Carole has been researching issues around criminal evidence and forensic science for twenty years, and has written on miscarriages of justice, international policing cooperation, DNA and biometrics, forensic science and criminal justice more widely. She currently teaches and researches in the areas of criminal law, criminal evidence and forensic science. Carole was previously at Northumbria University, where she established the Science and Justice Research Interest Group, and the University of Leeds and Bond University, Australia. 

I research issues around criminal evidence and forensic science, and have written on miscarriages of justice, international policing cooperation, DNA and biometrics, forensic science and criminal justice more widely.

• McCartney, C, E. Topfer & R. Granja. ‘Biometric Forensic Identity Databases: Precariously Balanced or Faulty Scales?’ in Roberts & Purshouse (Eds) Privacy, Technology & the Criminal Process (forthcoming, Routledge 2023).
• Amankwaa, A. & C. McCartney ‘Evaluating Forensic DNA Databases’ in Toom, Wienroth & M’Charek (eds) Forensic DNA Profiling Across the Globe: Exploring Technolegal Worlds. (Routledge, 2022)
• M. Wienroth, Amankwaa, A., and C McCartney, ‘Integrity, Trustworthiness and Effectiveness: An Ethos for Forensic Genetics’ Genes (2022)
• Nsiah Amoako, E & C. McCartney, ‘Swapping Carrots for Sticks: Forensic Providers Views of the Forensic Regulator Act 2021’, Science and Justice (August 2022) 
• M. Wienroth, R. Granja, V. Lipphardt, E. Nsiah Amoako, and McCartney, C. ‘Ethics as Lived Practice. Anticipatory Capacity and Ethical Decision-Making in Forensic Genetics’ Genes (November 2021) 
• Kotsoglou, K & C. McCartney. “To the Exclusion of All Others? DNA Profile and Transfer Mechanics – R v Jones (William Francis) [2020]” International Journal of Evidence and Proof (2021) 25(2) 1-6.
• Nsiah Amoako, E & C. McCartney ‘The UK Forensic Regulator: Fit for Purpose?’ (2021) WIRES For Sci. e1415
• Amankwaa, A. & C. McCartney ‘The effectiveness of the current use of forensic DNA in criminal investigations in England & Wales’, (2021) WIREs Forensic Sci. e1414. 
• McCartney, C & L. Shorter. ‘Police Retention and Storage of Evidence in England and Wales’ (2019) International Journal of Police Science and Management 22(2) 123-136.
• McCartney, C. & L. Shorter, ‘Exacerbating Injustice: Post-Conviction Disclosure in England and Wales.’ (2019) International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 59, (100323)
• Amankwaa, A & McCartney, C. ‘The Effectiveness of the UK National DNA Database’, Forensic Science International: Synergy’, (2019) 1, 45-55.
• Lennon G., C. King & C McCartney (eds). Counter-terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice (Hart Publishing, 2019).
• McCartney, C. ‘The Forensic Science Paradox’ in: King, Lennon & McCartney (eds) Counter-terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice (Hart Publishing, 2019).
• McCartney, C and Amoako, E. ‘The UK Forensic Science Regulator: A Model for Forensic Science Regulation?’ (2018) 34 (4) Georgia State University Law Review.
• Amankwaa, A & McCartney, C. ‘The UK National DNA Database: Implementation of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012’ (2018) 284, Forensic Science International, 117-128.
• McCartney, C & Wortley, N. ‘Under the Covers: Covert Policing and Intimate Relationships’ (2018) 2 Criminal Law Review, 137–156.
• McCartney, C & Graham, R. ‘All We Need to Know?’ Questioning Transnational Scientific Evidence’, in Roberts & Stockdale (eds) Forensic Science Evidence & Expert Witness Testimony (Edward Elgar, 2018).
• Wortley, N. & C. McCartney, ‘Case comment: R. v Lawrance [2020] EWCA Crim 971, unreported, 23 July 2020, CA’ Criminal Law Weekly, Issue 28, 19 August 2020.
• Amankwaa, A. & C. McCartney ‘Gaughran vs the UK and public acceptability of forensic biometrics retention’, (2020) 60 (3) Science and Justice, 204-205.
• Amankwaa, A. & C. McCartney ‘Drawing a Line on Data.’ (2020) Police Professional, March.
• McCartney, C. & L. Shorter. ‘Storing up confusion’, (2019), Police Professional, July, pp23-26.
• McCartney, C. ‘Streamlined Forensic Reporting: Rhetoric and Reality’, (2019), Forensic Science International: Synergy 1. Pp. 83-85.
• McCartney, C & E. Amoako, ‘Accreditation of Forensic Science Service Providers’ (April 2019) Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 65. Pp.143-145.
• The Effectiveness of the UK National DNA Database, Amankwaa, A., McCartney, C. 2019, In: Forensic Science International: Synergy
• The UK National DNA Database: Implementation of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Amankwaa, A., McCartney, C. 1 Mar 2018, In: Forensic Science International
• Comment: R. (Monica) v DPP (Boyling, interested party) [2018] EWHC 3508 (Admin), Wortley, N., McCartney, C. 30 Jan 2019, In: Criminal Law Week
• Counter-Terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice: A Festschrift for Professor Clive Walker, Lennon, G., King, C., McCartney, C. 1 Nov 2018
• The Forensic Science Paradox, McCartney, C. 1 Nov 2018, Counter-Terrorism, Constitutionalism and Miscarriages of Justice, Hart
• Under the Covers: Covert Policing and Intimate Relationships, McCartney, C., Wortley, N. 1 Feb 2018, In: Criminal Law Review
• ‘All we need to know’? Questioning transnational scientific evidence, McCartney, C., Graham, R. 30 Nov 2018, Forensic Science Evidence and Expert Witness Testimony, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar
• The UK forensic science regulator: A model for forensic science regulation?, McCartney, C., Nsiah Amoako, E. 2018, In: Georgia State University Law Review
• Trust and the International Exchange of Forensic Information, McCartney, C. 26 Jan 2017, Trust in International Police and Justice Cooperation, Hart  

I welcome approaches from prospective doctoral candidates in any field of Criminal Law and/or Justice but especially evidence, policing and forensic science and miscarriages of justice. I have previously supervised PGR students researching topics relating to forensic science, youth justice and appeals, expert evidence, and the law and algorithms.

• Evidence
• Criminal Law
• Criminal Justice

The operation of the criminal justice system but particularly forensic science, miscarriages of justice, and evidential issues.