GC: n
S: CSFS – https://www.csfs.ca/student-zone/student-zone/ (last access: 4 February 2021); SDir – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/forensic-sciences (last access: 4 February 2021).
N: 1. – forensic (adj): “pertaining to or suitable for courts of law,” 1650s, with -ic + stem of Latin forensis “of a forum, place of assembly,” related to forum “public place”. Later used especially in sense of “pertaining to legal trials,” as in forensic medicine (1845). Related: Forensical (1580s).
– science (n): mid-14c., “what is known, knowledge (of something) acquired by study; information;” also “assurance of knowledge, certitude, certainty,” from Old French science “knowledge, learning, application; corpus of human knowledge” (12c.), from Latin scientia “knowledge, a knowing; expertness,” from sciens (genitive scientis) “intelligent, skilled,” present participle of scire “to know,” probably originally “to separate one thing from another, to distinguish,” related to scindere “to cut, divide” (from PIE root *skei- “to cut, split;” source also of Greek skhizein “to split, rend, cleave,” Gothic skaidan, Old English sceadan “to divide, separate”).
2. Forensic science, the application of the methods of the natural and physical sciences to matters of criminal and civil law. Forensic science can be involved not only in investigation and prosecution of crimes such as rape, murder, and drug trafficking but also in matters in which a crime has not been committed but in which someone is charged with a civil wrong (see tort), such as willful pollution of air or water or causing industrial injuries.
3. Field of science which applies the principles of biology, chemistry and physics to law and law enforcement [to perform a scientific evaluation of physical evidence in criminal cases.]
4. Not to be confused with “crime scene investigation.” Forensic science work takes place mainly in laboratories, whereas crime scene investigation is at the crime scene.
5. forensics: Some authors still view this term as a different concept that refers to presenting evidence in the court, not gathering and examining evidence to be admitted in court.
S: 1. OED – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=forensic+science (last access: 4 February 2021). 2. EncBrit – https://www.britannica.com/science/forensic-science (last access: 4 February 2021). 3 to 5. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=criminalistique&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 4 February 2021).
SYN: 1. forensics, criminalistics, crime detection science. 2. forensic investigation. (depending on context)
S: 1. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=criminalistique&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 4 February 2021). 2. COSNAUTAS/LIBRO ROJO (last access: 4 February 2021).
CR: crime, criminology, forensic medicine, forensics, medical examiner.
