explored by Dr Hilary Hamnett

Tuesday October 11th 2022, 7:00pm-8.30pm

Venue: the Drill selling tea/coffee/wine/beer and food

How does the context of a case influence decisions taken by forensic scientists? Does knowing personal details about the alleged perpetrator or victim affect scientific findings? Unconscious biases are part of what makes us human, and no-one, not even forensic scientists, is immune to them. Hilary will explain how high-profile miscarriages of justice, and research into cognitive forensics have thrown a spanner into the works. And, more importantly what can be done about bias, particularly in her own field of forensic toxicology.

Dr Hilary Hamnett

Hilary Hamnett is Associate Professor in Forensic Science at the University of Lincoln. She has eight years’ experience as a practising forensic toxicologist in the UK and New Zealand. Her research is focussed on how drugs affect driving and how cognitive bias affects forensic toxicology.