Forensic face matching: Procedures and application

Forensic face matching evidence has been presented in UK courts for over 30 years to provide crucial identification evidence in criminal investigations. To be admissible as evidence in UK courts, this evidence must be conducted by a suitably qualified expert using scientifically validated procedures. Contrary to this notion, however, the field has been largely self-regulated, with little empirical investigation into the validity of face matching procedures, with extensive criticism of forensic face matching procedures in the scientific literature. Practitioner working groups are now addressing these criticisms and standardising working practices, but further effort is required to ensure that the procedures used for forensic face matching are reliable and the limitations known. This chapter will provide a critical analysis of the forensic face matching procedures used in the UK and internationally by forensic face examiners, alongside studies and case examples that have challenged and tested the reliability and accuracy of these procedures.