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and Key Indicators ]
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Forensic Toxicology Sections
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For effective casework management, the Forensic
Toxicology Sections are split into Analytical Toxicology,
Urinalysis, and Drink-Driving Units, each with its distinctive
functions.
The Analytical toxicology Unit examines
biological materials (mostly ante- or post-mortem specimens
of human origin) such as blood, urine and liver, as well as
related materials found at scenes for drugs or poisons. The
findings assist the Coroners, Forensic Pathologists of the
Department of Health, Clinical pathologists of the Hospital
Authority and the Police Force in the investigation of criminal
offences and suspicious deaths where drugs or poisons are
implicated.
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The Urinalysis Unit analyses urine samples
submitted by methadone clinics of the Department of Health from
drug addicts registered in the Methadone Maintenance Programme.
It is also responsible for the analysis of opiate and non-opiate
drugs of abuse in urine samples submitted by the Social Welfare
Department, the Correctional Services Department, the Police Force
and other drug rehabilitation centres, taken from young offenders
placed under their monitoring programmes.
The Drink Driving Unit was set up in December
1995 as a result of changes to the Road Traffic Ordinance enacted
at that time to make it an offence to drive with alcohol in breath,
blood or urine exceeding the corresponding statutory limits. Effective
from 1st October 1999, the Road Traffic Ordinance has been revised
and tightened to make it an offence to drive with greater than 22
microgrammes (ug) of alcohol per 100 mL of breath, 50 milligrammes
of alcohol per 100 mL of blood, or 67 milligrammes of alcohol per
100 mL of urine. Drivers found to have 22-37 ug/100 mL of breath
alcohol as tested by police using approved breathalyser have the
option of having their blood or urine samples analysed by the Unit
for alcohol content instead of just accepting the breathalyser results.
The three units also provide expert advice to clients
and courts on an as-need basis on issues of pharmacology and toxicology
of drugs and alcohol.
Key Personnel
Forensic Toxicology A Section
Forensic Toxicology B Section
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) |
| Analytical toxicology completed within 33 working days (%) |
85 |
78 |
78 |
85 |
| Drug urinalysis － |
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| Methadone clinics completed within 11 working days (%) |
90 |
100 |
92 |
90 |
| Judicial-confirmation (routine) completed within 22 working days (%)# |
85 |
80 |
87 |
85 |
| Judicial-confirmation (enhanced probation) completed within five working days (%)# |
100 |
N.A. |
100 |
100 |
| Drink-driving completed within 11 working days (%) |
90 |
93 |
88 |
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 previous target of “judicial confirmation” under “drug urinalysis” has been re-named
to “judicial confirmation (routine)” for clarify. It refers to cases pertaining to the existing urinalysis service.
A new target of “judicial confirmation (enhanced probation)” has been set for cases pertaining to the enhanced
probation scheme which commenced in October 2009. |
Key Indicators
Key indicators are the number of cases investigated
| Number of Cases Investigated |
2008
(Actual) |
2009
(Actual) |
2010
(Estimate) |
| Analytical toxicology |
2,746 |
2,907 |
2,900 |
| Drink-driving |
123 |
112 |
120 |
| Total |
2,869 |
3,019 |
3,020 |
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| Number of Tests Investigated |
2008
(Actual) |
2009
(Actual) |
2010
(Estimate) |
| Drug urinalysis － |
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| Methadone clinics# |
15,944 |
13,119 |
14,000 |
| Judicial-confirmation (routine)^# |
26,114 |
30,896* |
31,000 |
| Judicial-confirmation (enhanced probation)* |
N.A. |
134 |
19,000 |
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| # |
From 2009 onwards, the indicators of “drug urinalysis - methadone clinics and judicial confirmation
(routine)” have been revised to base on the number of cases investigated for standardisation.
They were previously based on the number of samples tested and the number of tests conducted, respectively. |
| ^ |
From 2010 onwards, the previous indicator of “judicial-confirmation” under “drug urinalysis” has been
re-named as “judicial-confirmation (routine)” for clarity. |
| * |
The judicial-confirmation category had 34,000 as the “2009 (Estimate)” in the Controlling Officer’s Report for
2009–10 Estimates, which had included a preliminary estimate of the additional requirement in supporting a
pilot scheme which the Social Welfare Department will take forward to enhance probation service for
convicted drug offenders. From 2010 onwards, a new indicator of “judicial confirmation (enhanced
probation)” has been made to record this line of work indicator. The number of cases projected at the
commencement of the scheme in October 2009 was 19,000 a year, although submission has not picked up yet.
This situation will be closely monitored. |
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