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[ Key Personnel | Key Instruments | Targets
and Key Indicators ]
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Biochemical Sciences Sections
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Staff checking experimental data |
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The Biochemical Sciences Sections comprise two sections, A and B, which work in parallel and which are responsible for the identification and individualization of biological evidence materials submitted for examination. These come mostly from crimes against the person/property, such as homicide, rape, burglary, etc. The aim of the examination is in attempting to trace the source of a particular piece of evidence material. For example, bloodstaining /semen staining found in a rape case can be shown to be indistinguishable from that of a suspect; or, an abandoned foetus can be shown to be the possible offspring of a couple (parentage analysis) in an infanticide case; or, a piece of meat is shown to be of canine origin in an illegal meat sale.
The professional officers in the sections are also involved in some special examinations, particularly in the area of blood spatter pattern interpretation at crime scenes.
Key Personnel
Biochemical Sciences A Section
Biochemical Sciences B Section
Staff working on the DNA sequencer |
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Starting from 1998, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based DNA profiling has become the main analytical method for the examination of biological evidence in forensic casework. In 2004, a new analytical kit has been introduced into the system, which enables simultaneous amplification of up to fifteen DNA characteristics plus sex. This analytical kit together with a new robotic workstation and detection platform has greatly enhanced the sample throughput, efficiency, sensitivity and degree of certainty in the identification of the source of samples, with the discrimination among the population for a person being up to the order of quadrillions to one.
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Key Instruments
Targets
and Key Indicators
Key Performance Measures Relating to the Forensic
Science Services
Targets
Targets are defined as the percentage of completed cases whose individual case-completion time does not exceed a specified number of working day(s)
| Category |
Targets |
2008
(Actual) |
2009
(Actual) |
2010
(Plan) |
| Biochemical grouping (DNA profiling) - |
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| non-complicated cases completed within 88 working days (%)@# |
90 |
98 |
98 |
N.A.* |
| non-complicated cases completed within 66 working days (%)@* |
90 |
N.A. |
N.A. |
90 |
| complicated cases completed within 154 working days (%)@ |
90 |
96 |
99 |
N.A.* |
| complicated cases completed within 130 working days (%)@* |
90 |
N.A. |
N.A. |
90 |
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From 2009 onwards, the targets are re-defined to be the percentage of completed cases whose individual
case-completion time does not exceed a specified number of working day(s), instead of a targeted
case-completion time (in working days) which is expected to be met in 80 per cent of the examined cases, in
order to better reflect the work performance of the forensic services. |
| * |
From 2010 onwards, the target of “non-complicated cases” under “biochemical grouping (DNA profiling)”
will be enhanced from completion within 88 working days to completion within 66 working days; and the
target of “complicated cases” from completion within 154 working days to completion within 130 working
days. |
| # |
From 2009 onwards, the previous target of “routine cases” under “biochemical grouping (DNA profiling)” has
been re-named as “non-complicated cases completed within 88 working days” as a contrasting term to the
other “complicated cases”. |
Key Indicators
Key indicators are the number of cases completed
| Number of Cases Investigated |
2008
(Actual) |
2009
(Actual) |
2010
(Estimate) |
Biochemical sciences -
non-complicated#
complicated |
1,642
1,624 |
1,296
1,585 |
1,300
1,600 |
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| # |
From 2009 onwards, the previous indicator of “biochemical sciences – routine” has been re-named as “biochemical sciences – non-complicated” as a contrasting term to the other “complicated cases”. |
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