For that reason we will examine the requirements of an expert report for court. Now an informal report for internal use may seem to be less rigorous, however it is usually best to prepare any report as if it were going to be used in court proceedings. Whether you are using an expert as a consultant or as a testifying witness, at some point they will need to provide a report of their findings. This article is designed to provide guidance on that issue. Unfortunately many forensic examiners, both in law enforcement and in private practice, fail to provide adequate detail in their report.
The writing of the report is either not mentioned or is given very little attention. Many training courses concentrate on training the forensic examiner in specific tools or techniques.
The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance in writing forensics reports.
