The Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS; ) is a

professional association A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in ...

aimed at maintaining professional standards and promoting and enhancing the study and stature of

forensic science Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...

. Membership in the society is open internationally to professionals with an active interest in the forensic sciences.

History

The CSFS was founded on October 16, 1953, in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. The founding members were William Wallace Sutherland, Charles George Farmilo, James Alexander Churchman, Blake B. Coldwell, and Leo Levi. The society officially became a non-profit corporation on April 10, 1963, with the signing of the Letters Patent under the authority of the ''Companies Act''.

Present structure

The CSFS has an Executive Committee consisting of elected Officials and a Board of Directors. In addition there are several standing and special committees, including Awards, Finance, Membership, Nominating, Publication, Accreditation, Alcohol Test, Constitution, Drugs and Driving, and Informatics/Education. The CSFS is further organized into sections representing diverse areas of forensic science, as follows: *

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

Medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and Odontology *

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

Documents A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ', which denotes a "teaching" or "lesson": ...

Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

Firearms A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originated ...

Toxicology Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating ex ...

There are six types of membership in the society: Regular, Fellow, Emeritus, Provisional, Associate and Student. As of May 2022, the society had 425 members of all types.

Journal

The society publishes the

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

, quarterly '' Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science''. It is devoted to the publication of original papers, comments, and reviews in all branches of forensic science, as well as other matters of forensic interest ( e.g., social sciences, law enforcement and/or jurisprudence). Abstracts from 1995 to the present are available online at the CSFS website.

Conference

The society holds a professional conference and Annual General Meeting. The location and specific dates vary each year. In 2023, the conference is being held at the

Ontario Tech University The University of Ontario Institute of Technology, branded as Ontario Tech University or Ontario Tech, is a public university, public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is located on approximately ...

in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Each conference has its own theme and this year it is “Forensic Science in Canada: An Evolving Community”.

Awards

The society gives out the following awards: * Rita Charlebois Award, to provide financial assistance to a deserving candidate(s) to attend scientific meetings * CSFS Memorial Award, to posthumously commemorate the contributions to forensic science in Canada of society members who have died * CSFS Education Award, an annual award for promoting the field of forensic science * The Derome Award, to honour those individuals who had been active in the establishment of the profession in Canada * H. Ward Smith Award, to commemorate the contribution to forensic science in Canada of the late H. Ward Smith.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Society Of Forensic Science Law enforcement in Canada Forensics organizations Organizations established in 1953 Professional associations based in Canada 1953 establishments in Ontario