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What Counts for Identity? The Historical Origins of the Methodology of Latent Fingerprint Identification

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Simon Cole
Simon Cole
Affiliation:
Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging ResearchRutgers University
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Abstract

Two parallel traditions have coexisted throughout the history of modern finger print identification. One, which gave more emphasis to the rhetoric of “science,” has always been somewhat troubled by the lack of an easily articulated scientific foundation for “dactyloscopy.” The other, more concerned with practicalities, was satisfied that the method of fingerprint identification appeared to “work” and that it won widespread legal acceptance. The latter group established conser vative rules of practice to guard against errors and preserve the credibility of latent fingerprint identification in the eyes of the law. The legacy of this history is coming home to roost today, as some latent fingerprint examiners (LFPEs) are beginning to argue that the traditional practice of latent fingerprint comparison lacks a scientific foundation appropriate to contemporary forensic science. This issue raises the question of what constitutes a “scientific” method for individual ized identification in a legal setting.

Type
Article
Information
Science in Context , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , Spring 1999 , pp. 139 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

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