The Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS) is a

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

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

forensic science Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal ...

. 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 (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. 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, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

Medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

and Odontology *

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...

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 ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" or ...

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

Firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

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 e ...

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 revie ...

, quarterly ''

Journal of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science The ''Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal which publishes original research papers, comments, and reviews relating to all aspects of forensic science. It was established in 1968, and is publi ...

''. 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.

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